Harry Potter and the Circle of Five
by Miaka Kennyuuki
Summary: Dumbledore's found a prophecy that suggested Harry needed a bit of help defeating Voldemort. Following clues, he dragged the G-boys from AC 196 to 1998. And to add to Harry's confusion, Malfoy is friends with Hermione and wants to be "friends" with him! W
1. Letters

Prologue: Letters  
  
(Heero POV)  
  
"Hee-chan, save me!" shrieked Duo Maxwell, as he burst into the previously quiet living room of the Gundam pilots' current safe house. Duo leapt into the Perfect Soldier's lap, and squealed as Chang Wufei stumbled in looking angry and flustered.  
  
"Maxwell," he yelled, slanted onyx eyes flashing as they darted left and right, trying to pinpoint his elusive prey. Finally his eyes rested on the quivering mass in Heero's lap, with it's arms wrapped around the Asian teen's neck. It's face was buried in Heero's shirt. "Yuy! Move aside!"  
  
Heero stared at Wufei dispassionately, his Prussian blue eyes flashing as he contemplated the situation. Suddenly, his look intensified. "What did Maxwell do?"  
  
"He stole my-my...uh, he took an article of my clothing and hung it on top of the flag pole in the academy courtyard!" Wufei snapped, flushing red.  
  
Heero just looked at the Chinese boy coldly. "That is no reason to be blushing and chasing the baka like that. What was so special about this clothing?" he asked. Wufei flushed harder.  
  
"That's not the whole truth, Hee-chan!" Duo cried, lifting his head and grinning evilly at the flustered Wufei. "Wu-man here had his laundry scattered everywhere, so I went through it - don't ask - and guess what I found?! Come on, guess!" Before the startled Heero could respond, Duo answered his own question. A grin encompassed his entire face. "A thong!" he squealed, giggling in obvious mirth. "And I thought all this time he had a stick up his ass!"  
  
"Maxwell!" Wufei raged, lunging at the braided teen. Duo squealed and jumped from Heero's lap, dashing for the open door. Wufei scrambled after.  
  
Once the room was empty, Heero allowed himself a small smile. Duo's antics always brought out things he wouldn't normally have done, like indulge him in the word game earlier. He knew that the question didn't really require answer, and even though Heero hadn't, one adorable pout from Duo and he was ready to talk. Heero couldn't refuse the hyper teen anything.  
  
The truth was, he was slowly falling in love with the braided idiot. After a year of being his partner and sharing a room wherever they went, Duo had begun to grow on him. If it wasn't love, Heero must like the American a lot, at least.  
  
The door bursting open again cut off Heero's thoughts. Wufei stood there, panting. A piece of torn cloth, which Heero recognized as a piece of Duo's red shirt, was clutched in the Chinese teen's hand. "Yuy," Wufei said.  
  
"Chang," Heero responded, watching Wufei impassively. Then, Heero smirked. "A thong?"  
  
Wufei flushed again, but quickly regained his composure. "You're weakening, Yuy. Maxwell is changing you. The real Perfect Soldier would never joke, even dryly," he said. It was his turn to smirk. "I can't say this isn't welcome, though." Heero just 'hn'ed' and continued watching the Chinaman. Wufei's smirk faded and he once again looked serious. "You have never before indulged in such worthless games."  
  
"The war is almost over, Chang. I believe it is time for me to live a bit," Heero said. "I know I am weakening, but I am still a soldier, and will remain so until I am no longer needed."  
  
"War is an endless waltz, Yuy. Even Marimeia Khushrenada knew that. Don't let it force you to dance forever," Wufei said. "I understand what you seek, for I seek it also. See you at dinner, Yuy."  
  
"Chang," Heero said, nodding at his comrade-in-arms. Wufei bowed, then disappeared into the kitchen, where Heero could hear Quatre cooking and singing a song he had written called Just Communication. (A/N: Hehe...)  
  
"You love him, don't you?" said a calm, quiet voice from behind Heero. The Perfect Soldier sighed. He had only detected the European teen after Wufei left. He was getting soft.  
  
"Chang?" he asked, knowing full well who Trowa spoke of.  
  
"You know of whom I speak," Trowa said. The tall teen moved into Heero's line of sight, revealing auburn locks of hair and cryptic emerald eyes. "Do you?"  
  
"I...don't know," Heero answered hesitantly but truthfully. "I don't have enough heart to tell."  
  
"Any amount is enough," Trowa answered. Heero nodded. The uni-banged boy was right. Take Trowa and Quatre for example. Trowa had only enough heart to love his adoptive sister, Catherine Bloom. Quatre had no heart, after Sultan Winner and First Princess Iria died. The war hadn't helped much either, except to let them meet. Both had fallen in love with the other, despite prejudices over same sex relationships, and the war surrounding them. Now, with the war almost over, you could see how content they were.  
  
"You love him, don't you?" Heero mimicked, a small smile quirking his lips. He already knew the answer, but needed solid proof that the love existed. Besides, Trowa needed reassurance every now and then of the reasons why he went through such heartache for Quatre.  
  
"Of course," Trowa answered with a small smile of his own. "How else would I endure his horrific cooking?" The two normally stoic pilots grinned and allowed the unorthodox moment to go on for some time.  
  
"Dinner!" came Quatre's angelic voice. The two pilots nodded to each other as if heading to the gallows. Heero gave Trowa a 'Ready?' look, and Trowa answered with a gulp, and an 'Always.' Smirks firmly planted on their faces, they headed for the kitchen.  
  
***  
  
(Harry POV)  
  
Harry Potter groaned as the morning sunlight hit him directly in the eyes. His body automatically knew what to do. Roll over, stand, shower, and dress, head downstairs. When he reached the landing, he hurried into the kitchen and began frying eggs. The significance of the summer day hardly registered.  
  
"HARRY POTTER! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL WRETCH!?" came Vernon Dursley's greeting from upstairs. Harry cringed as he realized he'd forgotten to wait long enough for his uncle to bellow at him before breakfast. Vernon claimed it relieved tension. (A/N: Really? Then what's Petunia for? ^_~)  
  
"I'm cooking breakfast, sir!" he called, turning back to his half-cooked eggs. Going into the pantry and grabbing some bread, then the fridge for butter (which they made him churn by hand), Harry set about toasting it. Alternating his attention between the eggs, toast, and later bacon, Harry finished breakfast.  
  
He quickly set the table and served up the food before Vernon, Petunia and Dudley came down. That way he could slip himself a larger portion and eat it without them knowing. Unfortunately, a familiar cane rounded the corner before a big, lumbering body, right when Harry was slipping the leftovers on his plate.  
  
Dudley and Harry froze, and then Harry closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen. He wasn't disappointed.  
  
"Mum! Harry's eating all the fo~od!" Dudley yelled, drawing the attention of the other two Dursleys. Loud footsteps echoed upstairs, then a half- dressed Vernon and Petunia in curlers appeared at the top of the stairs.  
  
"WHAT?!" Vernon bellowed, just as Petunia squealed, "Dinky Diddydums!" Did the mean freak hurt you, angel?" The pair hurried downstairs, one to deal with each child.  
  
"Boy, I told you about eating more than your share! Now give that to Dudley and go to your room. I'll call you when its time to get on that train to that place," Vernon said.  
  
Suddenly, while Petunia cooed over her 'Dudders' and Vernon bellowed so loud the rafters shook, it hit him. Today...today he went back to Hogwarts! After only a month of being away, he was going back! Completely forgetting any lingering thoughts of breakfast, Harry dashed into the kitchen, put down the pots he held, and then scrambled up the stairs.  
  
Happiness radiated off of him in waves so strong some might've sworn they rippled the curtains. Harry bounced to his trunk to continue the packing he had started the night before. Haphazardly throwing in his remaining school robes and old school books, Harry closed and manually locked his trunk. He'd lock it better later.  
  
Harry looked at his small worn table clock. The malfunctioning red lights read 8:45am. Just over two hours until he was once again in his beloved wizarding world.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Hedwig. The snowy owl flew in and landed on Harry's bed. She looked as though she'd been harassed, her feathers ruffled every which way. She was so irritated that she didn't even bother to nip Harry affectionately, something she hadn't failed to do since first year, five years ago.  
  
Harry finally noticed the letter attached to Hedwig's leg. Pulling it off, he patted her on the head and left her to reach her cage. He opened the letter to reveal dark green ink.  
  
Good day, Harry I trust this reaches you in good health? I apologize for Hedwig's exhaustion. I'm afraid I worked her a bit too hard these past few days, and she only has enough strength for you to reply to this missive.  
  
Anyway, the reason I am contacting you is to inform you of a change in transportation to Hogwarts' summer program. To my extreme chagrin, the Hogwarts Express has broken down...  
  
What? Harry thought. How could a magic run train break down?  
  
I know what you are thinking. 'How could a magic-run train break down?' Well, magic isn't impervious nor invincible, and the Hogwarts Express is indeed broken down. Luckily, an alternative has been found, and I'm sure you'll like it. You, and a few others without alternate transportation (ie: flying Ford Anglia's), will meet behind King's Cross Station with your brooms and fly to Hogwarts.  
  
Harry almost dropped the letter. Fly to Hogwarts?! Impossible under the circumstances.  
  
It's very possible, Harry. I've pulled some strings and the way should be clear for you. One of the students will have a map of the Scottish/English country side. Though you've already flown that route, I believe the map will still be needed. If following the map is too hard, go through platform 9 3/4 and follow the train tracks. I cannot properly prepare you through correspondence, but just be ready for anything. I understand you are 16 now. Happy Birthday. You will receive your gift upon arrival to Hogwarts. I trust you have acquired a good head on your shoulders. Do not allow it to fall off.  
  
I'm terribly sorry, but I must cut this letter short. I'm sure you have to get to King's Cross Station soon. The wizarding world awaits you.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
A.D.  
  
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of  
Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Harry folded the letter, a thoughtful expression on his handsome, matured face. After about a minute of serious contemplation - in which a fish swam before Harry's eyes - he shrugged and slipped the letter into the pocket of his baggy blue hand-me-downs. He was sure Hermione could interpret it at school.  
  
Checking the clock again, Harry saw that it was now 9:30am. Enough time to shine his broom once before he left. Going back to his trunk and unlocking it, Harry pulled out his trusty Firebolt, his favorite broom even now, three years after it came out. He knew there were faster brooms, like the Skyrocket 500, which was five times the speed of the original Firebolt. But Harry had slowly, but steadily, modified his beloved broom - with help from the Weasley twins - until it could give the Skyrocket 500 a run for the galleons it cost to buy it. Harry was fairly sure Draco Malfoy had one.  
  
With that seemingly stray thought, Harry's mind immediately latched onto a favorite pastime, contemplating the philosophy of a Malfoy. What was a Malfoy? A cold, unfeeling entity raised to cause suffering to those around, like Lucius? An evil being destined to serve the darkest, vilest power around, like Sirius' brother? THE darkest, evilest power around? Or Harry's own definition, a misunderstood wizard/witch born into money, forced to present an image of circumstances out of their control. Harry shook his head to clear it. Obviously the lack of breakfast had got to him. Malfoys? Nice? Both words in the same sentence were laughable.  
  
"BOY!" came the familiar call. Sighing, Harry replaced his treasured Firebolt and relocked the trunk. Grabbing the handles, Harry dragged the trunk down the stairs and left it on the landing, then dashed back upstairs to collect Hedwig and the cage. Harry dashed back down again and resumed dragging his stuff to the car. Surprisingly, the car was quite spacious, as the Dursleys had bought Dudley a Volkswagen Beetle to celebrate receiving his permit. Vernon and Petunia didn't know that Piers Polkiss had forged it for Dudley.  
  
"Ready, boy?" Vernon asked, slipping into the car and making it dip to the side. Harry almost nodded, when he remembered Dumbledore's letter. Grabbing parchment and quill from a side compartment on his trunk, Harry quickly scrawled an affirmative. He let Hedwig out of her cage and tied the letter to her leg, then released her into the late morning sky.  
  
"Ready!" He said, sliding into the back seat, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans clutched in his hand. Yesterday had been his birthday, July 31st, and Ron, as usual, had sent him candy. Hagrid sent him rock cakes, Hermione sent another broom servicing kit and a book called Quidditch Players and the Brooms That Made Them Famous: A Beginners Guide to Getting Your Own Talent and Learning Not to Mooch Off of Theirs. In it was an article about Harry Potter using the Wronski Feint in a Quidditch match 4th year. It kind of left Harry annoyed, but he still loved the book.  
  
All the other Weasleys sent Harry new clothes, most of them the hottest fashions these days, and a lot of them black. Ginny sent chocolate, so it was obvious the youngest Weasley had renewed her adour for him. Harry was extremely uncomfortable with this, and wished fervently that Michael Corner hadn't dumped her last year for Cho 'Sniveling' Chang. Harry was happy for Cho. The stupid bint now had someone else to burst into tears in front of on dates and such. Harry was well rid of her.  
  
Remus had sent Harry a letter saying his present was a surprise, and that Tonks, Moody and Kingsley would be at Hogwarts to help give it to him. Dumbledore, surprisingly, had sent Harry an illegal broom modifying spell so the Firebolt had almost unrivalled steering, and lastly Harry received an anonymous package. Harry didn't know who sent it but he loved it the most out of all his gifts. It was even better than the communication ball Mrs. Weasley had sent him.  
  
The gift, wrapped in unmarked brown paper, had been small. Inside was a silver chain attached to a small, roaring dragon. The dragon was magically animated, and stretched every once in awhile. It had deep red ruby eyes that Harry feared were real, and when you stroked the silver scales, it purred loudly. It had gotten him in trouble more than once yesterday.  
  
Harry stroked the dragon just then, making the loud rumble fill the previously silent car. "Boy, stop that or I'll melt that thing down for silver!" Vernon barked. "I don't give a sodden sock how much it cost!" Harry snorted. He'd told Vernon that the chain was from his godfather. He doubted the overgrown coward would do much.  
  
Suddenly, Harry's eyes filled with tears at that thought. He hadn't told the Dursleys that Sirius was dead, but he was sure Petunia knew. Maybe that was why she tried to keep Vernon and Harry separated. Given the chance, Harry would have shouted in anger that Sirius was dead, and Vernon would have used it against him. If that had ever happened, Harry's summer would have been drowned in tears. Luckily, after only two weeks with the Dursleys, with many letters from his best friends, Remus, Tonks and Moody, Harry had went to stay at the Burrow. Percy was still a family outcast, and Harry still hadn't informed anyone about the prophecy, but never the less the summer had turned out to be great. Only two days ago had Harry returned to pack for the summer program in Hogwarts, sort of remedial classes.  
  
A few minutes after the dragon purred, and Harry had pulled himself together with a sniff, they arrived at King's Cross Station and Vernon almost threw Harry out of the car, trunk and all. "And don't come back!" he barked.  
  
Harry flicked him off. "See ya in 10 months, asswipe!" he called gleefully, before darting off, his trunk behind him. Skidding to a stumbling halt, Harry acquired a trolley and headed to the back of the building. He was met with a strange sight. Standing there were Blaise Zabini (male), Pansy Parkinson, Terry Boot, Susan Bones, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Lisa Turpin, some unknown blond with unnaturally long hair and...Draco Malfoy.  
  
***  
  
(Draco POV)  
  
Gracefully sliding out of his limo, Draco Malfoy waited while his disguised house-elf, Ammy, removed his trunk. Discreetly conjuring a trolly, Ammy put the trunk on it and pushed it toward Draco.  
  
"Have fun, Master Draco, sir," Ammy said. "Your mother hasn't any last words for you, Master Draco, sir. She is in an interview with Aurors, sir."  
  
"Tell mother I hope it goes well," Draco said nonchalantly. Ammy looked surprised, then apprehensive. She might have come to the Manor after the 'Dobby Incident', but she knew enough to know that how Draco was acting wasn't Malfoyish behavior, especially with Lucius Malfoy now in Azkaban. It was a strong possibility he would escape, but for now Draco was safe to act himself.  
  
It was to be expected though, since Draco had undergone a drastic change during the first half of the summer. Without the shadow of Lucius over him, his personality had bloomed, forming a completely different person. People at his early feast day party had gasped at the absence of his usual wizard- tailored tuxedo. He'd worn a black leather wife beater and tight, slightly flared leather pants. A studded black belt, spiked cuffs and a silver ball chain that completed the ensemble, along with black Dockers. People were especially shocked because the Malfoy heir's entire midriff was bared.  
  
Draco's hair had black streaks in it and he had a nose ring and a lower lip ring. Both were detachable so he wouldn't get in trouble in class. That night he'd worn black contacts and outline his eyes in black kohl, making his blue-grey eyes deep and mysterious. To put it simply, Draco had looked good enough to eat. And surprisingly, his new image fit just as well as his old, and his mother couldn't really object. Unless of course she had a dream of seeing her son testify against her before the Wizengamot.  
  
"Goodbye, Master Draco, sir," Ammy said, bowing. After Draco nodded back, Ammy disappeared with a pop and the Malfoy limo drove off. Shrugging, Draco rolled his trolley behind the station to the designated spot. There he saw Pansy, Susan Bones, Blaise, the Mudblood, the Weaselette, the Ravenclaw Slut, and Terry Boot. Not acknowledging any of them, he settled down to wait.  
  
"Good day," said a smooth, slightly annoying voice. Draco and the others turned to see a handsome blond wearing a red jogging suit. The blond's hair was long and slightly wavy, reaching a bit past his slim waist. The boy had ice blue eyes that glittered slightly as the blond regarded the students.  
  
"Who are you?" Draco asked coolly, immediately assuming the position of leader.  
  
The newcomer smirked. "You must be Draco Malfoy. Purest blood this side of the United Kingdom, I hear," he said. The boy turned to Hermione. "And you're that dirty blooded girl, Granger, correct? Couldn't mistake that nest of hair anywhere."  
  
Hermione looked as if an artery would burst, and Draco decided it really wasn't the time. He stepped in front of the enraged girl.  
  
"Though I'm sure you had some small level of authority wherever you come from, that does not erase the fact that I am the authority right now. Aside from that," Draco said, smirking. "I am the only one allowed to call Granger a Mudblood. You'd do well to remember that."  
  
The blond looked shocked and indignant. He drew himself up. "I," he said regally, "will be a Prince of an entire European country in my next life." His ice blue eyes twinkled with a proud light. That light flickered as Draco snorted.  
  
"Who lied to you?" he asked a condescending tone to his voice. He smirked, as if to say, 'You? Royalty? Don't make me laugh!'  
  
"A fortuneteller," the blond promptly answered, then flushed. "And she didn't lie."  
  
"Was her name, by any chance, Sibyll Trelawney?" Hermione asked. She'd obviously forgiven the blond, filing him in her 'Not Worth It' cabinet.  
  
"Yes," the blond said. "Fortuneteller Sibyll told me that I am destined for great things, and--"  
  
"And she told Harry Potter, for the last five years, that he would die. Real accurate information," Ginny snapped. (A/N: I'm not counting the time she was so happy with Harry she said he'd live to a ripe old age.) "You're no more royal than my brother Ron."  
  
"Low blow, Weaselette. You just called him a peasant," Draco said, allowing himself to chuckle softly.  
  
"Malfoy!" Ginny shrieked.  
  
"Potter's girlfriend," Draco taunted. Ginny turned bright red in embarrassment, then almost purple with anger. Before she could leap at Draco, Hermione, Susan and Pansy got in her way.  
  
"He's not worth it, Ginny," Hermione soothed.  
  
"Oh, please don't fight!" Susan Bones pleaded.  
  
"Don't hurt my Draky-poo!" Pansy shrieked.  
  
"All of you be quiet!" Draco snapped. "Sit down and shut up. Anything but the noise you're making now! What if some Muggles came to investigate the noise, hm? And they saw you all holding your brooms?"  
  
All the young wizards and witches, even the blond, blushed. They looked ashamed. "Good," Draco said decisively. He pulled out his wand from one tight pocket and turned to his trunk. "Reducio," he muttered, watching as his large trunk became the size of a ring box. Slipping it into his pocket, he turned from the other teens and sat on the trolley.  
  
The teenagers stared, then took Draco's cue and put away their brooms, then shrank their trunks and put them away. They all relaxed against each other or the station wall.  
  
Suddenly, a dark-haired shape moved toward the shade of the rear of King's Cross Station. Several of the teens panicked, jumping up and muttering "Fuck," and "Muggles." The shadow moved closer, revealing messy black hair and emerald green eyes behind silver framed glasses. It was Harry Potter.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	2. More Letters

Part One: More Letters  
  
(Narrator's POV)  
  
Harry stopped and stared at the odd assortment before him. Dumbledore hadn't been kidding. "Uh, hi?" Harry said nervously. He grinned. "Hullo Hermione, Ginny, Terry, Susan."  
  
"Hey, Harry," the chorused.  
  
"This is the great Harry Potter? What a joke. I didn't know that the Boy- Who-Lived wore such rags," said an unfamiliar voice. Harry turned to meet the ice blue eyes of an unknown blond, and blushed in shame. Hermione and Ginny jumped to his defense.  
  
"I'll have you know that Harry has fought and beaten Lord Voldemort more times than you can say 'I wish I were him'!" Hermione said heatedly.  
  
"And Harry has more money than you'll every see in both of your lifetimes. He just chooses not to flaunt it like Malfoy!" Ginny snapped.  
  
"Figures," said a familiar, taunting voice. It sent shivers that were not altogether unpleasant down Harry's back. He turned to the source of the condescending statement.  
  
"Malfoy," he said cooly, trying not to fall over in pleased surprise at Draco's new look. The new image almost took his breath away. To preserve his sanity, he looked away and spotted Pansy and Blaise. "I see you can't go anywhere without Parkinson and Zabini, hm?"  
  
"Stuff it, Potter. I didn't know who would be here anymore than you did," Draco said, surprisingly neutral. Harry's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Is that so?" he said, eyeing Draco warily. He turned his emerald gaze to the unknown blond to Draco's right. "Who's this?" Draco shrugged.  
  
"I," said the long-haired blond, "am--"  
  
"A royal pain in the arse!" Hermione snapped. "Just tell us your ruddy name and be quiet!" Harry, Ginny, and several others stared at the usually quiet girl.  
  
"Uh, I am Mitchell Pemberton," the blond said, gulping. After a moment he regained some confidence. "I will be a prince of an entire European country in my next life," he announced. Harry stared.  
  
"He's been talking to Treloony," Ginny informed him. "The bat told him he was royalty. He's been insufferable since."  
  
"Didn't you tell him what she says?" Harry asked.  
  
"Of course, Harry. But he seems to cling to his opinion of her. He'll learn soon enough. Divination is a required class for this summer programme," Hermione said.  
  
Harry sighed, looking annoyed, and fingered something under his oversized grey shirt. Draco's eyes followed Harry's fingers closely, trying to get a glimpse of whatever was under his shirt.  
  
Right when Mitchell prepared to say...something, an owl flew into their midst and landed on his head. Mitchell immediately swatted at it.  
  
"Get off my hair, you over grown carrion bird! Do you have any idea how long it took for me to straighten it?! Curls are a bitch! You're lucky I'll have straight hair in my other life!" Mitchell snapped. The owl pecked him, then flew over and landed on the trolley Draco sat on.  
  
Draco lightly stroked the owl while he untied a previously unseen letter from it's leg. The owl sat patiently as he opened the letter and skimmed the dark green writing. "It's from Dumbledore," he said.  
  
Harry, Draco, the rest of you, Change of plans. Forget the original instructions. I have decided you will all head to Hogsmeade by way of the train tracks. Be in the Three Broomsticks by 3pm. I have some foreign students coming in that will need some guidance. I thank you for your help.  
  
Albus Dumbledore  
  
P.S. As a reward, I think I will allow you all full access to Hogsmeade in whatever freetime you have. The village has already been warded against Voldemort as much as I could manage and I do not believe it would be fair to stop my students from enjoying life on account of some half-blood wizard with a vendetta against Harry Potter and I. My thanks again.  
  
A. B.  
  
"So, we're to go to Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Obviously, Weaselette," Draco drawled. Ignoring the others, he started for the station. The others look at each other, then followed.  
  
***  
  
(Duo POV)  
  
"Gonna check the mail! Gonna check the ma~il!" Duo Maxwell sang as he skipped to the safehouse mailbox. He reached for the opening when a strange sound stopped him. Sounds like a...bird? The strange sound came again. Suddenly, a large snowy owl landed on the mailbox. Duo stared, then noticed the thick stack of letters attached to its leg.  
  
"That heavy?" Duo asked softly , inching toward the owl. It hooted. Almost like it understands me. Sorta like Harry Potter. Duo untied the letters and glanced at them. The first one said.  
  
Duo Maxwell aka Daniel Cassell  
Safehouse, undisclosed location  
Room with Heero, left bed  
AC 196, the future  
  
Hm? Curious. Duo sifted through to the third one. It said:  
  
Quatre Raberba Winner  
Safehouse, undisclosed location  
Room with Trowa, left bed  
AC 196, the future  
  
Whoever this guy is, he's got alot of info on us. And how did they get this address? Duo moved to the next one.  
  
Trowa Barton aka Triton Bloom  
Safehouse, undisclosed location  
Room with Quatre, left bed  
AC 196, the future  
  
Duo was about to look the next one when one piece of info caught his eye. Quatre, left bed. Trowa, left bed. Aren't there two beds in that room? "Hm. Interesting.." Duo murmured. He was dragged out of his thoughts by another hoot from the owl. "Gomen ne, little owl. Though you're very presence on this colony is impossible, I plan to take care of you." He petted the snow white feathers of the owl, then headed inside.  
  
"Guys! Mail's here!" he called. No answer. "Guys?" Duo moved into the entry hall, then the kitchen. "Quat? Trowa?"  
  
"Over here, Maxwell," came Wufei's voice. Duo turned to the sound and froze, then stared. And stared. And...OhMyGod, stared.  
  
There, on the kitchen floor, was spread the colorful mat used for Twister. The real shocking thing was that on the mat, in various states of undress, and curled into impossible positions, was Heero Yuy, Chang Wufei and Trowa Barton. Duo..stared. (A/N: We weren't expecting that! O.o)  
  
"Wha-what are you doing?" Duo stuttered.  
  
"Playing Strip Twister," Quatre answered. He was on a kitchen chair, the spinner in his lap. He only wore bright yellow boxers.  
  
"Why're you almost naked?" Duo asked.  
  
Quatre blushed. "I lost against Trowa," he said. His blush deepened. "That boy can bend in amazing ways."  
  
"Speaking from first hand experience, ne?" Duo said. Quatre's blush turned a violent shade. "Anyway, we got mail. It came by owl." The other Gundam pilots stared at him, too used to his antics to take him seriously. "No, really!" he cried. "Look!" Behind him, the snowy owl flew in and landed on Duo's shoulder. "See?"  
  
The other boys stared in astonishment at the bird. A bird on L4 colony? "Where'd it come from?" Quatre asked, standing.  
  
"Don't know," Duo said, shrugging. While he and Quatre talked, Trowa, Heero and Wufei untangled themselves and stood. Heero only wore his black spandex shorts, the expanse of his muscled chest revealed. Wufei still had on his navy blue tank top and white slacks, but was noticably missing his coat and belt. Trowa was still fully clothed, but for a reason Duo would never fathom but was sure involved Quatre, he wore cute off blue jeans that revealed most of his toned legs. Duo drooled as he stared at the stretching bishounen. I've died and gone to heaven.  
  
After slipping on his green tank top, Heero said, "Give me the letters." Duo, used to Heero's leadership, obeyed. Though Quatre was the heart of the group, and all the Doctors considered him leader, Heero was usually the one to control alll security measures, ie; letters from unknown sources. The Gundam Pilots Perfect Soldier examined the envelopes thoroughly, but would not open them. He moved to the basement stairs where they kept all their technology. The other boys followed.  
  
Once they were all there, Heero tossed the stack of letters to Trowa. "Crossexamine them," he said. Trowa obeyed, doing a more thorough check than even Heero had. He tossed them back to Heero.  
  
"Clear as well as I can see," Trowa said. Heero's eyes narrowed at the vague answer, and the other pilots immediately knew the examination would take longer. But even Duo didn't mind. He stuck just as rigidly as the others to safety protocol. He didn't want to die a virgin.  
  
Heero moved to a corner of the room, where they kept a scanner. He put each envelope in it seperately and scanned them. After about three minutes he rejoined the others and handed them each an envelope. "Hn," he said. Translation: Open them.  
  
Duo hurried to open his. The first thing that struck him as strange was the seal at the top of the stationary, It depicted a shield with a lion, a snake, a badger and a raven on it. He was sure he'd seen it before.  
  
"Hey Duo, isn't this seal from one of your old vids? You know, the ones with that Daniel Radcliffe kid?" Quatre asked.  
  
Duo looked closer at the now naggingly familiar seal. "Yeah, I kinda remember now..." he mumbled. He searched his memory. "Oh yeah! This is the seal for Hogwarts!"  
  
"Hogwarts?" Trowa asked quietly. Heero and Wufei nodded to his question, showing that they too wanted to know.  
  
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Duo said excitedly. "It's the world of Harry Potter! It's too cool!"  
  
"I agree, though I've only seen Harry Potter and the Defeat of Lord Voldemort," Quatre said.  
  
"Naw. The best one is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, even though they kill a major character," Duo said. Quatre shrugged. He hadn't seen that one.  
  
"Why are we receiving letters from a series of books, vids and merchandise created almost 400 years ago?" Wufei asked. Everyone else shrugged and continued to open their letters. Duo squealed happily and turned to them.  
  
"I'll read it aloud," he said.  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
of WITCHCRAFTand WIZARDRY  
  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chief Warlock,  
Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)  
  
Dear Duo Maxwell,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted  
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find  
enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
This is a summer trial programme and includes time travel.  
If you do not like roller coasters, I suggest you do not accept.  
Your absence will be noted, as well as the absence of your bile.  
Term begins August 1st. We await your owl by no later than  
July 31st. In your case, immediately.  
  
Yours Sincerely,  
Minerva Mcgonagall  
  
Minerva Mcgonagall  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
P.S. Please find enclosed a portkey in the shape of your new  
familiar. If you accept, stroke the port key softly and say, roughly,  
  
'Isn't it adorable?' and you will be brought to Hogsmeade to meet  
some students also in our summer programme. Hope to see you  
soon.  
  
M.M.  
  
"Whoa," muttered Duo. He pulled out the list the letter mentioned. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was real..."  
  
"Oh, kawaii!" came a cry from Quatre. The other pilots turned to see the small blond bent over a side table, something in front of him.  
  
"What is it, Q-man?" Duo asked.  
  
Quatre picked something up and held it out for the others to see. They gasped, It was a miniature fairy, beautiful, with short blonde hair and a cute smile. She moved with the grace of the Middle World. "Isn't she adorable!" The other pilots tensed, falling into their fighting stances. Duo quickly assessed the situation, noting the gray box tipped on it's side on the table, empty.  
  
"Quatre, angel, put it down," Trowa said softly but sternly.  
  
"Why?" Quatre asked curiously. He tilted his head cutely, causing all the pilots to momentarily forget the problem. It all came rushing back when Quatre reached up to touch the fairy. The pilots stared, not quite registering what was happening. Then...  
  
"Quatre, no!" Heero cried, in a rare show of emotion. But he was too late. Quatre's hand continued to move toward the fairy. He carefully stroked her tunic clad back, and she purred loudly. A split second later, they were gone.  
  
"K'so!" Heero muttered. Beside him, Trowa stared at the spot where Quatre had last stood. Searching the room quickly, he found a pair of his customary blue jeans and changed from his cutoffs right in front of them. Slipping back into his shoes, he moved back to the table. Finally, he grabbed Quatre's letters and the box the fairy had come in, then shoke his envelope to find a small grey box. Opening it, he stuck his hand in and pulled out what looked like a lion, but had the wings of a bird and other changes.  
  
"A gryphon," Wufei breathed. Moving to the middle of the room, Trowa gave each boy a piercing look with his visible green eye, then reached up and stroked the mythical creature between its wings, muttering something. In a blink of an eye, the jade eyed pilot was gone too.  
  
"We have to follow them," Wufei said. "Yuy?"  
  
"Ninmu, ryoukai," said Heero. He left the boys and headed upstairs. When he returned he carried Quatre's quaterstaff, a long piece of wood finished with ebony. In his other hand he had Trowa's automatic, his own automatic, Duo's throwing knifes and dagger, and Wufei's twin katanas. Strapped to his side was his legendary laptop. (A/N: Dell. The company of the future.)  
  
"I've secured the Gundams and tightened security. I suspect we will be gone awhile. I left an away message for the Doctors," Heero said. He threw Wufei his swords and Trowa's gun. Then he tossed Duo Quatre's quaterstaff and his knifes and dagger. He slipped his own gun in a side holster. Adjusting his tank top, Heero reached into the envelope and removed the grey box. Sticking his hand in it, he stroked whatever was in there and muttered the acting words then disappeared.  
  
Shrugging, Wufei opened his box and did the same. Once he was gone, Duo was alone. He was still excited, but kind of scared. Pasting on his trademark manic grin, he stuck his hand into his grey box and pulled out a curled form. Making out a small humanoid back. He brought up one hand and carefully stroked it. The form uncurled to reveal a handsome face. It was a male...something, with swirling blue eyes and a small smirk. The body had two leathery black wings and wore a deep purple tunic. The blue eyes flashed red a moment.  
  
"What's up?" said a tiny voice, the miniature boy's mouth moving. Duo mouthed the required words and the boy sent him a grin much like his own. As Duo stared in shock, he felt a pull at his navel and was dragged into a void. A moment later he fell with a thud on something soft and firm, stunned. He groaned, then opened one blue-violet eye. The first thing he saw was a kindly old face. The face talked.  
  
"Welcome to Hogsmeade, Mr. Maxwell."  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	3. The Three Broomsticks and The Foreign Bo

Part Two: The Three Broomsticks and the Foreign Boys  
  
(Harry POV)  
  
Harry spotted Hogsmeade Station below him, and motioned for the other summer school participants to descend. As the ground rushed up at them, Harry thought back to the last few hours.  
  
It had been rather pleasant, surprisingly. Malfoy hadn't made any major cracks, except to address Hermione and Ginny only as the Mudblood and the Weaselette. Harry asked him again and again to stop, but the response was always a smirk and a small wink.  
  
Harry suspected something drastic had happened over the summer's beginning. A lot could happen in a month's time. Malfoy had undergone a complete make over, not that he wasn't perfect before, and he was only being a git sometimes. All in all, it was kind of refreshing.  
  
"There's the Three Broomsticks. Let's land and see if Headmaster Dumbledore has arrived yet," Harry said. Surprisingly, Malfoy nodded to Blaise and Pansy to obey Harry's command. The ten Hogwarts students landed in the streets of Hogsmeade directly infront of the famous pub. A young woman hurried out, a small smile on her face. It was Madam Rosmerta, a waitress in the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Hullo, children. Albus is inside waiting for you. Third table in the back," Rosmerta said. Nodding to her, Harry and the others went into the pub.  
  
"Ah, Harry, my boy! Did you have a nice flight?" said a familiar, jolly voice. Harry and the others turned to see Headmaster Dumbledore sitting at a large table, smiling.  
  
"Good day, Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione piped up enthusiastically. Harry, Susan, Terry and Ginny echoed her greeting. Malfoy, Blaise, Pansy, Lisa and Mitchell said nothing. They all moved toward the large table and sat. Harry and Hermione on either side of Dumbledore. The Headmaster's eyes twinkled especially brightly, and he bestowed a smile on each of them.  
  
"It's good to see my students getting along so swimmingly," the old Professor said. "I believe more of these review summer programmes are in order."  
  
"Really, Professor Dumbledore?!" Hermione squealed. Both Harry and Malfoy rolled their eyes at the same time, then spoke.  
  
"Just like Hermione to get excited about more school work," Harry muttered under his breath.  
  
"Just like Granger to get excited about more school work," Malfoy muttered. Both boys turned to each other and stared.  
  
"Well, my answer really depends on the foreign students liking it, really," Dumbledore informed them. "They are from very far away and won't know much of the world. Unlike you, Harry, they were not raised by relatives. All are orphans and none but one have any remaining family." Here Dumbledore turned to Malfoy. "Please understand, Mr. Malfoy, that jabs about their families are not advised. Aside from the fact that the human heart is hardly invincible, these students are trained in several forms of martial arts, and I assure you they will not take it lying down." Malfoy snorted.  
  
"Anyway, students, they are going to be very confused. They grew up as Muggles and know of nothing else. I request that you be gentle with them," Dumbledore continued.  
  
"How old are they?" asked the quiet Susan Bones.  
  
"Almost all have just turned 16," Dumbledore answered.  
  
"Are they cute?" Lisa Turpin asked eagerly. For once Harry saw an uneasy look flash across Dumbledore's face as he looked at the overly eager girl. I wonder if he knows she's the Ravenclaw slut?  
  
"I wouldn't be able to accurately answer that, Miss Turpin," he said. Harry could see a small amount of disapproval in his eyes. "They should be arriving soon, so fill the time with idle chatter." Dumbledore smiled, his twinkle working over time, and moved off to speak to Madam Rosmerta.  
  
"So..." Harry began slowly, watching the others. No one spoke for several minutes. Suddenly, Malfoy said something.  
  
"So, how was your summer, Mudblood? Did the Weasel manage to lose his virginity?" he said companionably. Pansy, Blaise and Mitchell snickered.  
  
Hermione smiled. "My summer was pretty good, Ferret Face. I went to Rome with my Muggle parents and then spent sometime with my Pureblood wizard boyfriend. And no, Ron didn't lose his virginity. It was already lost," she said. She looked down for a moment. "We broke up. How was yours?"  
  
Malfoy arched an eyebrow, which gave Harry the impression that he either already knew, or needed to know the details. "Not all that wonderful, Mudblood. I sat around, being waited on hand and foot, had a few friends over for dinner. You know, things like that," Malfoy said. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh yes, and I had this makeover, which I have to admit makes me even more delicious than usual."  
  
Here,here! Harry blushed at his wayward thoughts, then forced himself to calm down. At Malfoy's comments, he decided not to wear his new contacts or new clothes at school. Either people would tell him he looked stupid, or they'd think he was a wanna be. Harry had absolute faith in Remus' and Tonks' fashion senses, but still...  
  
"You might look...okay," Hermione said, in a My-Ex-Boyfriend-Might-Not-Be- As-Hot-As-You-But-I-Still-Love-Him tone of voice. "But Harry will look great in his contacts and new clothes."  
  
All his table mates turned to look at Harry curiously. "Playing dress up, Potter?" Malfoy drawled. "Why don't you put on your contacts now? I'm sure we all want to see what Hogwarts' Golden Boy looks like without his glass eyes."  
  
Harry looked panicked. "Um...I don't know..." he mumbled.  
  
"I'd like to see, Harry," Hermione said.  
  
"You're not helping!" Harry hissed. Hermione smirked in a very Malfoyish way, causing Harry to wonder.  
  
"Yes, Potter. Do show us how you look without windows on your face," Blaise said, in a voice too oily to perfectly mimick Malfoy's sexy drawl. The others nodded.  
  
Sighing, Harry dug into his oversized pockets and pulled out his contacts case and a small bottle of anti-irritant. Opening the case, Harry poured a few drops of the anti-irritant into each circle, then pulled off his glasses. He thought he heard someone gasp and looked up. The person gasped again, softer this time, but Harry only saw blurs and couldn't pinpoint it. Shrugging slightly, he carefully put one, then both contacts in. Blinking rapidly, he looked up. And stared.  
  
Pansy was clutching Blaise's arm in a death grip. Mitchell's eyes were glazed over. Lisa openly drooled. Susan and Terry were blushing. Ginny's face was an alarming shade of scarlet. Hermione clutched a quill that appeared out of nowhere. It broke with an audible snap. And Malfoy...Malfoy stared right back. The stare lasted for several moments, until a loud thud snapped them out of it. Both Harry and Malfoy blushed lightly.  
  
"Oh Merlin, Harry, look!" Hermione cried sticking a finger almost directly in Harry's face. He turned to see what she was pointing at and gasped. There on the floor of the Three Broomsticks were four strange-looking boys.  
  
The one at the very bottom of the pile was a cute boy with golden yellow hair and large aquamarine eyes. He pouted from his position. (A/N: Quat's not nekkie. He changed before he went into the basement in chapter two.) On top of him was a boy with auburn hair styled weirdly to fall over one eye. The other jade green eye was visible. On top of him was an Asian boy with cold blue eyes and unruly chocolate brown hair. Strapped to his back was a laptop. It looked like nothing Harry had ever seen before. Strapped to the boy's hip was a gun. Tangled in the Asian boy was a boy of obviously oriental origin. He had slanted black eyes and had two katanas and another gun clutched in his tanned hands.  
  
What violent people! I wonder who they are? Harry watched as a loud pop sounded and another strange person fell out of the air to land on the pile of boys. This one must be a girl. She had long braided chestnut hair and beautiful blue-violet eyes. Personally to Harry, she had nothing on Draco. Draco's eyes were so silver and deep they could drag you in and drown you, and you'd probably die happy.  
  
The new girl had a dagger in one hand and a pouch of what looked like throwing knives in her other hand. A long black staff lay across her flat chest. Dumbledore moved away from Rosmerta and approached the kids. He leaned down over the girl.  
  
"Welcome to Hogsmeade, Mr. Maxwell," he said cheerily. Mr? All the other young wizards and witches stared.  
  
"Ehehe..Hi?" the girl -boy?- said.  
  
***  
  
(Heero POV)  
  
"Ehehe...Hi?" Duo said. Heero mentally slapped him. They land in a pile in some unknown place, approached by some old man in a bathrobe, and all he could say was 'Hi?'  
  
Heero assessed the situation. Beside them, strange robed old guys. On the other side fireplace. Behind, other robed people. In front, a woman and a table full of regularly dressed teens. Heero immediately decided that the teens were enemies. He analyzed them to discover the leaders.  
  
The first one was a tall, lean blond. The boy's hair was almost white blond, and stunning. It contained smooth black streaks that only added character that was the perfection of his hair. He had amazing silver blue eyes and a beautiful, well proportioned face. If he hadn't already been in love with Duo he might have fell for the blond. The boy was dressed like a BC 100 goth. (A/N: That's Before Colony number 100)  
  
The next was a bushy-haired girl with hazel eyes who stood regally beside his third choice. It was another boy, this one drastically different from the first. He had unruly black hair, slightly less controlled than Heero's own. Emerald green eyes brighter than Trowa's own looked out from a handsome tanned face. Heero could see lean muscle under all the old, baggy clothing. Somehow, the boy managed to look like he could wear something else but was content with his coverings at the moment. In the center of the boy's head was a lightning shaped scar.  
  
The rest of the people were either mice or tag-alongs. Heero's cold eyes swept the room once more, and he was about to ignore them when a flash of blond caught his attention. He turned to it, and against his training, he gasped. Hearing that, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and even Duo looked at him curiously.  
  
Heero leaped up, sending Duo tumbling to the ground. Quickly and efficiently, he helped the other boys up, then crouched down, his gun trained on the blond. The blond had frozen.  
  
"What's wrong, Yuy?" Wufei asked. No answer. Heero got like that sometimes on missions. There was no talking to him unless you knew how. In Japanese. "Daijoubu desu ka, Yuy-kun?"  
  
"Zechs," Heero hissed, his trigger finger tightening. All the other boys tensed. Trowa snatched his gun from Wufei and trained it in the general direction Heero's gun pointed. Quatre took his quarterstaff from Duo and relaxed into a loose fighting stance. Wufei bent his knees slightly and held out his katanas. Duo strapped his knife belt on quickly, slipped his dagger into his shoe, then moved his fingers quickly, two knives appearing as if by magic. They all spotted the blond at the same time.  
  
Trowa and Heero both fired at the same time, the shots landing before the blond's feet and forcing him against the wall. Duo let fly his two knives, then two more, pinning the blond to the wall at both arms and both legs. Two more knives thudded into the wall on either side of the frightened blond's face. A moment later two more knives rested in Duo's hands.  
  
"What are you doing?!" shrieked the bushy-haired girl. She pulled out a long stick and pointed it at Heero. "Stupify!"she cried. A beam of light shot from the stick and raced towards Heero, too fast and too fascinating for the Wing pilot to dodge.  
  
"No!" Duo cried. He moved quickly with an instinct born of living on the streets. Knocking Heero out of the way, Duo received the beam of light full on, and it threw him to the ground. Quickly putting on the safety for his gun, Heero dropped it and knelt beside Duo. Checking his vital signs, he discovered that Duo was merely unconscious. Touching a pressure point in his neck, Heero waited for Duo to wake. The braided boy didn't. Heero tried again. Still nothing. Heero actually allowed his eyebrows to raise in surprise, then narrow in anger. His technique always worked.  
  
Heero stood up and addressed the old man, his normally cool eyes flashing red-hot anger. "What did that bitch do to him?!" he demanded, his voice glacial. Several people in the room shivered.  
  
"Bitch? How dare yo-" the girl began. Wufei interrupted her.  
  
"I suggest you be silent, onna! Yuy doesn't take kindly to any orders but his superior's, which you are not," he snapped. "And never interrupt him when he is dealing with the welfare of his soldiers."  
  
The girl had turned pasty white and sat down heavily. Then she remembered the blond currently pinned to the wall and stood again. She took a step towards him, but a shot rang out and embedded itself an inch before her. She turned startled eyes to her assailant, Trowa.  
  
"Don't go anywhere near Zechs," he said, his voice almost as frosty as Heero's.  
  
"Zechs? Who is Zechs?" asked the green-eyed boy beside the bushy-haired girl. Quatre just pointed to the pinned blond. "Zechs? No, that's Mitchell Pemberton. Right Hermione?"  
  
"Right," the girl, Hermione, said.  
  
"Is that what you call yourself now, Kisama?" Wufei said, smirking. "I would think the great Lightning Count of Sanq would be more creative. You were with your alias."  
  
"Go whine about your dead wife somewhere, Chang," Zechs aka Mitchell snapped. Wufei backed up, eyes wide as if struck. Mitchell looked much the same, shock evident in his blue eyes. "I'm sorry! It was one of my flashes! I'm sorry!" Mitchell pleaded over and over again, desperately trying to explain that he was subsceptible to flashes of his next life.  
  
Trowa moved to put an arm around Wufei's shoulder, turning his still grieving friend into his embrace. Quatre's eyes narrowed in jealousy, then he sighed and decided that Wufei needed Trowa more than he did right then.  
  
"See? Zechs Marquise aka Milliardo Peacecraft, the Lightning Count of the European kingdom of Sanq. Murderous general of the OZ army. Negligent brother of the psycho stalker girl, Princess Relena Peacecraft of Sanq, Vice Foreign Minister of Earth and Queen of the World," Heero said. "Now be a good girl and sit down, before I shoot you for hurting my partner." Hermione sat, shocked. Heero thought he heard a few people whisper something about someone named Treloony being right for once. Heero turned to Dumbledore and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"I apologize, Mr.Yuy. Sometimes my students are headstrong. Allow me to assist your friend," Dumbledore said. He pulled out a stick much like Hermione's and pointed it at Duo. "Ennervate!" he said. A beam of light hit Duo and the braided boy's body shuddered. Then, Duo opened his eyes, now pure violet due to recent events.  
  
"Tadaima," Duo croaked jokingly. Against his better judgement, Heero smiled.  
  
"Okaeri nasai, Duo-kun," he said. Heero knelt beside the recently unconscious boy. "Daijoubu desu ka?"  
  
"I'm fine, Hee-chan," Duo said. "In fact, I feel great!" To prove his point, Duo jumped up and did a series of energetic stretches. Everyone in the room but the pilots stared, including Mitchell.  
  
"Calm yourself, Duo. Remember, we still have the Zechs problem," Heero said. Duo nodded. All the boys, Trowa releasing a composed Wufei, turned back to Mitchell. They raised their weapons again when something struck Duo. He spun around and stared at Dumbledore, then the stick in his hand, then Dumbledore again.  
  
"D-did you say Hogsmeade?" Duo asked. Dumbledore nodded. Duo fainted.  
  
*** (Draco POV)  
  
Draco stared as the braided boy fainted again, this time unaided by magic. He sighed and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at the boy -Duo, he'd heard- and prepared to cast the counterstunning spell. The chocolate-haired kid, Yuy, turned to him as he sensed the movement and raised his gun.  
  
"Put that away," the boy snapped. Draco raised an eyebrow. Someone commanding a Malfoy? Spare me.  
  
"Get off your suicidal horse for a moment and allow me to cast the consciousness spell on your boyfriend there," Draco said. The boy almost dropped his Muggle weapon. The other boys gasped.  
  
"H-he's not my boyfriend," Yuy growled, the gun shaking almost unnoticably.  
  
"Whatever. Now step aside," Draco demanded. All four strange boys stared at him, the brown-haired one in shock, the others in disbelief. Whispers started among them and Draco caught snatches of it.  
  
"...tried to order Yuy," said the obviously Chinese boy.  
  
"...doesn't know what he's getting into..." the angelic-looking blond whispered. The kid with the weird hair just nodded.  
  
"Hn," Yuy muttered, and fired. Draco brought up his wand.  
  
"Protecto Maximus!" he cried. A magical shield came up and deflected the bullets. Draco smirked in triumph seeing the annoyed look on the Asian boy's face. Unfortunately, that was the last thing he saw, as the petite blond's quarterstaff knocked him out.  
  
***  
  
With a groan, Draco opened his eyes. The light pierced them, and he hurriedly shut them again. He released a louder, undignified groan.  
  
"Oh, Draky-poo! Are you alright!?" shrieked a familiar voice. Pansy's face came into view.  
  
"Sounds like Relena," said a cheerful, vaguely familiar voice. Draco turned his head to the side to see the chesnut haired boy that had fainted before. The boy looked at Draco. "Hiya!"  
  
"Why are you so...happy?" Draco demanded in his drawling, snooty voice.  
  
"'Cuz I--wait! You're Draco Malfoy, aren't you!" the braided boy shrieked. "Oh my god, I'm gonna die!" Then the boy proceeded to jump up and down as if he'd had too much coffee. "WAI! WAI! WAI!"  
  
"Can you please be quiet, Duo?" asked a quiet, soothing voice. Draco turned to see the small blond that had knocked him out. Silence descended as the braided boy quieted. It was obvious the blond had a lot of power over the others. And did Draco sense...Veela? The blond saw Draco's look and turned, eyes bright with remorse. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry about hitting you, but you were provoking Heero and his gun wasn't his only weapon. He very well could have killed you." Draco said nothing.  
  
"Ohmygosh, he's just like I imagined him, all regal and snooty. WAI!" went the braided boy again.  
  
"Quiet, onna!" snapped the Chinese boy. Draco smirked as the braided boy quieted and began to sulk.  
  
"Stop being childish, Duo," a cold, flat voice said. Draco turned to see his former opponent leaning against a door in the pub.  
  
"Are we still in the pub?" Draco whispered.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. If you would sit up, please?" said Dumbledore, who Draco just noticed to his left. Draco obeyed. "You look fine. You may stand." Draco stood and surveyed the room. Potter, the Mudblood and the Weaselette surrounded the braided boy. Pansy hung over him. Blaise and the blond, Mitchell talked in a corner. Susan stood alone. Terry and Lisa were trying to subtly feel each other up. The small blond and the tall brunet stood aside, and the two Middle Eastern boys stood together, hard looks on their teenaged faces.  
  
"Oh, oh please let me talk to him, Hee-chan! You don't understand! It's Draco MALFOY we're talking about!" cried the braided boy. He was talking to the stoic teen over the Mudblood's head.  
  
"Hn," Heero said. The braided boy nearly blinded everyone in the room, his smile was so wide.  
  
"Arigatou, Hee-babe! I promise I'll pay you back," he said. He pushed the Weaselette out of the way and almost flew to Draco's side. He stood perfectly still, and stared. And stared. And..(wait for it)...stared.  
  
"Do you mind?" Draco drawled haughtily.  
  
"Mind what?" the braided boy asked, grinning. His eyes shifted from cobalt blue to violet constantly.  
  
"You have beautiful eyes," Draco said unconsciously. He realized his mistake when Duo shrieked happily, like a hyper fan girl.  
  
"Really?! Ohmygod! I could just die! This is almost as good as meeting Harry Potter!"  
  
Draco rolled his eyes. Always Potter. "What are you on about?"  
  
"You mean 'what is he on?'" Draco heard the Mudblood mutter.  
  
"Ya know, your voice is very sexy. So English and smooth," the boy said, staring at him with glazed eyes and a dreamy smile. Draco stared right back, not noticing the icy glare he was receiving from Yuy and the one directed at the braided boy from Potter.  
  
"Why don't we give a few introductions then head up to the school?" suggested Dumbledore. The teens nodded. Everyone but Harry and Heero, that is.  
  
"Hn," they said in unison.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	4. Honey Dukes and Hogsmeade

Hiya!! Here's ch.3, fin! Hope you enjoy. Thanks for the reviews!! Ch. 4 is up and ch. 5 goes up next week.!!  
  
Miaka  
  
Chapter Three: Honeydukes and Hogsmeade  
  
(Duo POV)  
  
"Right then. How about you tell me your name and something special about you?" Dumbledore asked. Everyone nodded.  
  
"Can I go first?" Duo asked exuberantly. The old Professor nodded. "Okay! I'm Duo Maxwell. I run, I hide, I do everything. But I never lie." Suddenly, he smiled proudly. "And I can tie a knot in a cherry stem!" Several students gasped, and many blushed.  
  
"Really..." Draco said, looking interested. He once again missed the death glares he received from Harry and Heero. (A/N: For you slightly less educated people, being able to tie a knot in a cherry stem means you are exceptionally good with your tongue. Lucky Hee-chan! ^_~)  
  
Duo grinned at their responses, then turned to Dumbledore. "You're Albus Dumbledore!" he said.  
  
Dumbledore looked mildly surprised. He obviously hadn't expected the boys to know him. The thought that Dumbledore could be surprised by something really disturbed the Hogwarts students. "You know who I am?" the old man asked.  
  
"'Course I do! You defeated the dark wizard Grindelwald, discovered the twelve uses for dragons blood, and worked with Nicholas Flamel on the Philosopher's Stone. And you are the only known wizard, maybe aside from Harry Potter, that Voldemort is afraid of!" Duo said.  
  
"Duo, that's just a book," Quatre said. But then looked uncertain. "I think."  
  
"Yeah, but can you really blame me? He's standing right there! The famous Headmaster of Hogwarts! I could die happy right now!" Duo answered. "Just look! The white beard, the creepy twinkly eyes, the cool robes! It's definitely him."  
  
"Excuse me, but what book are you talking about?" asked a soft voice. Draco smirked. Who said 'Excuse me?' anymore. How Gryffindorish. Duo turned to see Harry Potter looking at him. He smiled.  
  
"The HP series, of course. You must know Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone?" Duo said, unaware that several of the people in the room had gasped, including Dumbledore. "Or Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban?" Another gasp. "Or Harry Potter and the Defeat of--"  
  
"Duo, enough. I think they went into shock. Besides, Harry looks no older than sixteen, and it is summer. The sixth book probably hasn't happened yet," said the ever rational Quatre.  
  
"Oh," Duo said. "Well, anyway, I've read every book about you from first year up!" Harry just stared at Duo uneasily, and it finally struck Duo. He knew all of Harry's secrets, with a few of Ron Weasley's and Hermione Granger's on the side. And Draco and the others didn't know about the death of Sirius Black and the Sorcerer's Stone adventure.  
  
"How much do you know?" Dumbledore asked. He watched the braided boy carefully.  
  
"Um, everything? Now that I'm here, I'm not entirely sure if it's true or not, though," Duo said. Then he smirked. "But if it is, let's just say I can make a Polyjuice potion with my eyes closed." Hermione and Harry paled slightly.  
  
"Your ignorance or uncertainty is easily corrected with a few well asked questions," the Headmaster said. "What do you know of Nicholas Flamel?"  
  
"Some alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone with your help, Mr. Dumbledore. I believe as of now he's pushin' 600 years old?" Duo said questioningly. Dumbledore nodded decisively. Before he could ask another, Hermione leapt in.  
  
"Who's Aragog?" she shot off, looking apprehensively at the braided boy.  
  
"Huge spider living in the Dark Forest that was thought to be the monster residing in the Chamber of Secret. Aragog has gone blind with old age, and was but a little baby spider 50 years ago. His caretaker is--" Duo answered rapidly.  
  
"Thanks, Mr.Maxwell. Not many people are privy to that information. I believe we have proved that you know more than expected," Dumbledore interrupted. Draco and several others watched in interest, wanting to know more about the giant spider in the Dark Forest.  
  
"I know Weasley is afraid of spiders. Wonder what a kick it would be to introduce him to it," Draco murmured rather loudly to himself. Harry and Hermione spun on him, one having a look of exasperation and the other peevishness.  
  
"I'll have you know Malfoy, that Ron has already had the largely dubious pleasure of meeting Aragog. However, they are not good friends and it wouldn't be wise to bring them back together. Now shove off and go get eaten by something!" Hermione snapped. Draco looked about as stunned as he had in third year when Hermione had slapped him. He didn't notice Harry lean toward him until his soft voice filled his ears.  
  
"You shouldn't provoke Hermione like that, Malfoy. You know she used to date Ron, and is fiercely protective of him," Gryffindor's Golden Boy whispered. One could hear the smirk in his voice as he continued. "Honestly, though. Ron's first meeting with Aragog, he tells me, was reminiscent of his first meeting with you. Keep in mind that Aragog said he wanted to eat him." Draco backed up a step in astonishment. Did the Boy Who Lived just reprimand him, then insult him, all with a good amount of subtlety? "Yes, I do believe I did reprimand and insult you, Malfoy. Get used to the new me, because I plan to be around for at least two more years," Harry drawled, in a way almost as good as Draco's and twice as sexy. The blond Slytherin stared, but was dragged from his thoughts by Duo's exclamation.  
  
"Granger? You're Hermione Granger? Wow!" Duo cried, running up to the girl and shaking her hand. "Cool! I've always wanted to meet you. This is so cool! Didja ever read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Edition Three by Newt Scamander?"  
  
"Y-yes," Hermione said, just a tad bit dazed. It wasn't everyday you got treated like Harry Potter.  
  
"I bet I can guess the rest of you!" Duo said. He pointed to everyone randomly. "Virginia Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Pugface...uh, I mean Pansy, Susan Bones, Boot Boy...er, Terry, Slu...Lisa Turpin, and Zechs....hold it! No one ever told me that Sexy Zechsy was here?"  
  
"It's not Zechs," said Quatre. "Or at least I think he isn't." He bowed to the group. "Quatre Raberba Winner. I can make anyone do anything I want."  
  
Blaise straightened at this. "Is that so? Well, let's see it," he said.  
  
Quatre took a step forward and smiled, tilting his head cutely to the side. "See what?" he asked, looking adorably confused. Blaise just laughed.  
  
"Please, Blondie. I would never fall for something like--" Blaise stuttered to a stop as Quatre turned up the brightness of his smile. The small blond added a dash more cuteness, until even Heero's eyes glazed over a bit.  
  
"What were you saying?" Quatre asked innocently, his smile brightening so much he looked like an angel come down from heaven.  
  
Blaise's eyes glazed over completely and he stared at Quatre. "N- nothing..." he said.  
  
Quatre nodded decisively and grinned, his angelic aura fading. "Thought so," he said. He turned to the crowd and sent out his calming grin again. "See? No problem." The teens stared and some laughed as Blaise freed himself from his stupor and scowled.  
  
"I don't know what evil magic you worked on me, Winner, but--" Blaise began.  
  
"I believe it is called Veela magic. Honsetly, Blaise, have you learned nothing in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Draco drawled loudly.  
  
Blaise flushed, then looked smug. "You know Umbridge didn't teach us anything of consequence, Draco," he sneered.  
  
"You were just going to the wrong classroom, Zabini," Draco said, smiling conspiratorily. He didn't say what he meant; that he'd trained with Zachary Smith every day after the kid came from Harry Potter's supposed secret DADA class on the 7th floor in the Room of Requirement. The class, Dumbledore's Army he was told, had been very fruitful. The books Harry had his students study were very informative, and Draco now knew a lot more abot Veela's than he originally had. Unlike popular belief, he wasn't a Veela himself. But his mother was part, and it gave him the ability to feel them. Quatre Winner was definitely a Veela.  
  
"Winner...Winner...Winner! Are you, by any chance, related to Quatir Habib Winner, Sultan of North Arabia?" Hermione asked.  
  
Quatre looked faint. That was the name of his great great grandfather. "Eheh...sorta," he said. Duo stared at the slightly flushed blond. He'd never heard Quatre use such loose speech before. Hermione continued to eye the blond thoughtfully.  
  
Finally, Wufei stepped forward. "Chang Wufei, formerly Long Diwu of the Long Clan. Now heir of the Dragon Clan," he said. "I am known as the best swordsman since Kenshin Himura in my time."  
  
"Really?" Ginny squealed. She was secretly a martial arts addict, and she followed Kenshin's history to the 'T'. "How's that possible? No one is better than the Battousai."  
  
"Well I am," Wufei said stiffly, then turned away, signalling the end of the conversation. Ginny pouted. Trowa came forward to try to ease the tension.  
  
"Trowa Barton. I never lose at Twister," he said, nodding once to the room in general.  
  
"He means he's real flexible," said Duo, winking at the girls and a few boys. He grinned as blushes predictably bloomed.  
  
"And you?" Dumbledore asked, encouraging Heero with a look.  
  
Duo grinned and darted across the room to glomp Heero. "This is my Hee- chan!" he cried. Heero peeled him off.  
  
"Heero Yuy desu," Heero said. His voice was slightly less flat, but still relatively monotonous. "I can kill a person in 57 different ways with just my index and middle fingers." The room fell silent, everyone but the five foreign boys and Draco Malfoy were pale. Even Dumbledore.  
  
"Well, since you already know who I am," chirped the shaken Headmaster. "Let us go explore Hogsmeade."  
  
"Uh, sir?" asked Duo. "Is it true that Hengist of Woodcroft founded Hogsmeade?"  
  
"Why yes, Hengie did indeed found Hogsmeade," the old Professor answered. "However did you know that?"  
  
"Famous Witches and Wizards cards," Duo said. "I have quite an impressive collection, though I'm missing Sacharissa Tugwood."  
  
"Really? I have three of her. Here!" said Terry Boot, handing Duo the card. The braided boy grinned.  
  
"Thanks, man!" he said, slipping it into his pocket.  
  
"Well then, shall we go?" asked Dumbledore. The students nodded. "Lead the way, Miss Granger. Come back here at 6pm so we may head up to the castle. Have a good time!"  
  
"Alright Professor. See you soon," Hermione said. She waved the boys and girls over and headed for the door. "Honeydukes, here we come!"  
  
Dumbledore smiled until the door closed behind the fifteen teens, then sank into a contemplative frown. He quickly threw some Floo powder into the fire and said clearly, "Minerval McGonagall." A moment later, the Deputy Headmistress' head was floating in the fire. "Minerva, we have a problem..."  
  
***  
  
(Narrator POV)  
  
The kids left the Three Broomsticks then seperated. Lisa and Terry disappeared down a street. Pansy latched onto Draco and followed him into Darvish and Banges. Susan just drifted off somewhere. Ginny trailed after Harry and Hermione, blushing whenever Harry spoke to her. The five foreign boys crowded together.  
  
"Mission status?" Heero asked.  
  
"Situation unknown," Trowa answered. "Mission analysis?"  
  
"You want to know the truth?" Quatre asked. The other four nodded. "Alright. We are stuck in a strange world where magic is used and a Dark Lord is running rampant, with the only authority on anything being one Duo Maxwell."  
  
"Translation?" Wufei asked.  
  
"We are so screwed," Quatre said solemnly.  
  
"Hey!" Duo cried, pouting. Quatre and Wufei grinned, while Trowa and Heero's lips twitched. Duo pouted harder, then decided that was tiring. "Well, our mission plan is simple. Go with the flow, baby!"  
  
Heero sighed rather loudly and looked at Duo. All he had to do was quirk an eyebrow.  
  
Duo watched him for a minute before he wailed and turned away. "Ok! Ok! Mission plan is that we follow the Headmaster's lead, since he obviously knows what he's doing. When our mission analysis is a bit better we can act. Any problems or questions about this world and its history, ask me. Understood?"  
  
"Affirmative," said Trowa, Quatre and Wufei.  
  
"Wakatte," said Heero.  
  
"Good. Now let's go see Honeydukes, the biggest wizarding candy store in history!" Duo cried, punching the air.  
  
"Uh, 'scuse me?" said a feminine voice. Duo looked behind him to see that redhead from earlier standing there, Harry and Hermione behind her. "We just wanted to know if you wanted to come to Honeydukes with us?"  
  
"Sure!" Duo immediately piped up. "Who wouldn't want to do that with Harry Potter?!"  
  
Harry's face changed slightly. "Of course. Everyone always wants to do something with famous Harry Potter," he said bitterly.  
  
"You are famous?" Wufei asked. "What could someone as young as you have done?"  
  
"Oi, Wu-chan! You're one to talk. You're the most accomplished swordsman since Shouta Himura," Duo said. Wufei, surprisingly, blushed. Back in AC 196 Wufei was very well known and revered.  
  
"Really? Better than Battousai the Manslayer?!" exclaimed Ginny, leaning forward till her nose almost touched Wufei. The Chinese boy blushed harder and nodded. "How come I haven't heard of you?" she asked. All five boys shrugged, not entirely sure themselves.  
  
"Well, rest assured, Mr.Potter, we don't know why you're famous at all. Only Maxwell does, and I don't believe he likes you so much for that," Wufei said.  
  
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Duo isn't one to simper," Heero said. Hermione waited for him to continue, but it ended up being Quatre who answered.  
  
"Duo grew up as an orphan. He saw people kissing up to wealthier people all the time and it sickened him. He promised himself he would never simper like those people did," he said. Hermione nodded.  
  
"So you guys really don't know me?" Harry asked hopefully.  
  
"Q-chan knows a bit, and I know a lot, but Trowa, Hee-chan and Wu-babe don't have a clue," said Duo. "I don't mind that you're famous. I know you don't want to be."  
  
Harry nodded, obviously pleased. "Thanks. So, you wanna come?"  
  
"Sure," said Quatre. Trowa and Wufei nodded.  
  
"Ryoukai," Heero said. Duo rolled his eyes and nodded. Hermione waved for them to follow her and they entered the sanctioned halls of Honeydukes.  
  
"Oh my god! Ice mice! I want some! I want some! I want some!" Duo cried, jumping up and down. Then he remembered their circumstances. "Dammit! No money."  
  
Heero looked up from his examination of some suspicious looking jelly beans, a green one halfway to his mouth. "Does this place take credit cards."  
  
"Credit card?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Uh, I don't know," said Harry. "It is a Muggle item."  
  
"Oh, I know! They do! Started last week.They discovered a new spell to remove the money. Neat, huh?" Hermione said.  
  
"Hn," said Heero. "Give me a moment." Reaching behind himself, he unstrapped his laptop and pressed a button on the side. A flip stand fell out and set up on the floor. The laptop now had support. Heero pressed the 'ON' button. Nothing happened. Heero pressed it again. "I don't get it. I charged it last night..." he murmured under his breath. Duo and the others smothered a laugh at the fact that Heero said such a normal thing.  
  
"Don't you know, Hee-chan? Muggle things don't work near large concentrations of magic. You're gonna have to get someone to enchant your laptop for you," Duo said. Heero just "hn,"ed and stared at his laptop. Duo turned to Hermione. "You're smart, do you know how to enchant Muggle items?"  
  
"She does!" Ginny piped up. "She enchanted a Muggle CD player for Harry last year."  
  
"Great!" Duo said. "Can you give Hee-chan's laptop a boost?"  
  
"No problem," Hermione said, taking out her wand. She aimed it at the laptop. "Enchantus Electricius Mugglitum!" A bright light surounded the laptop and in a moment, it blinked on. Strangely, instead of going through Heero's usual security motions, a face with a Cheshire grin came up. It was really only two bright blue eyes, an anime nose, and the big grin set on a white background.  
  
"Wow!" Hermione squealed. "I've heard of this! When you enchant a Muggle item, you give it a personality. But it only works with items that have screens or windows, like watches or computers."  
  
"What's so special about that?" Wufei asked with a snort.  
  
"Well, no other computer can do this," Hermione said, proudly, completely unfazed by Wufei's rudeness. "Hopefully, that personality will manifest itself soon. 'Till then, it should work fine."  
  
"Hn," Heero said. He began typing rapidly on the laptop, and the Cheshire grin dissolved to be replaced by the usual screen. He brought up a couple of folders and bypassed some firewalls, then stopped and turned to Hermione. "Are there any important figures besides Winner that you know of?" he asked.  
  
Hermione looked excited to be of help. "Well, there is Quatir Winner, as you said, that owns Winner Corps. Aryez Barton that controls Barton Enterprises, and some European King named Richard Peace-something III," she rattled off. "That help?"  
  
"Hn," Heero said.  
  
"He said yes, and thank you," Duo translated. Hermione grinned and turned to watch as Heero brought up more folders, some labeled 'Classified', then stuck a small card in the side of the laptop and hit enter. A downloading sequence began.  
  
"What's he doing?" Ginny asked. Harry indicated that he wanted to know also.  
  
"He is borrowing some money from our esteemed providers," Quatre replied. "He's now transferring our loan to a credit card."  
  
"How much are we taking, Hee-chan?" Duo asked, his hand buried ina box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans no one noticed he had.  
  
"About 44,000 credits," Heero promptly replied.  
  
"What?! That's like 250,000 dollars! That's 50,000 galleons in the wizarding world!!" Duo exclaimed. Ginny, Harry and the other magical folk gasped.   
  
"That's a lot of money for one boy," Hermione commented as she watched Heero pull the credit card out and shut down the laptop, then put it away.  
  
"You mean, that's a lot of money for five boys," Duo quipped, grinning. "Now quit with the interrogation and let's shop!"  
  
Caught up in Duo's enthusiasm, the other pilots and the three magical folk let loose and began to enjoy themselves. (A/N: for this fic I've decided that one galleon will equal about 5 bucks, k?)  
  
***  
  
"Oi, Hee-chan, look at this!" Duo cried, excitedly pointing at a glass box where multicolored Gummy Bears pranced around energetically. "I've never heard of these before!"  
  
"That's 'cuz they're new," Harry piped up, a handful of Beans in his hand. "Read the signs, Duo."  
  
Duo nodded and turned to the description under the box. LIVE GUMMI BEARS -they try to run when about to be eaten! "Sugoi!" Duo cried. "I want some! I want some! I want some!"  
  
Heero reached out, grabbed Duo's braid and yanked. Hard.  
  
"Itaiiii!" Duo shrieked. "Heero! How could you?!" Harry, Hermione and Quatre watched in amusement as Duo continued to wail. Ginny was paying for some Truth Chews - whoever eats them tells the truth for 5 minutes! And Trowa was eyeing the Ice Mice- teeth chatter and squeak. Wufei was opening a pack of Exploding Bon Bons and shoving one into hismouth without reading the label.  
  
"Wufei, no!" Hermione cried. But it was too late. The bon bons exploded and Wufie began cursing fluently in Chinese. Trowa silently approached him and offered some Ice Mice. The Chinese teen ate them gratefully. Meanwhile, Duo was on the floor laughing.  
  
"Oh God (laugh) did you (gasp) see his (chuckle) face! (Maniacal laughter)," Duo said, face turning red with mirth.  
  
"MAXWELL!" Wufei barked. Duo 'eep'ed and took off out of the store. Quatre shrugged and approached the register. The man behind the counter turned and smiled.  
  
"Hello," Quatre said politely. "Can I have three orders each of Fizzing Whizbees, Pepper Imps, Ice Mice, Sugar Spun Quills, Exploding Bon Bons, Chocolate Frogs, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Acid Pops, Licorice Wands, Cauldron Cakes, Pumpkin Pastries, and Drobble's Best Blowing Gum?" The man stared but his assistant in the back diligently copied down the order. "Oh, and could I have a bit of the Live Gummi Bears, a case of Mountain Mist, the Cursed Dice and the Truth Chews? Thank you."  
  
(A/N: Mountain Mist- drink it and you will be followed around by an insistent mist. Comes in cans.  
  
Cursed Sugar Dice- when you eat them you win? Chancy.  
  
The other boys stared at Quatre. "What? I only got what Duo likes," he said. They all stared somore, then turned away. Heero led them all out of Honey Dukes, after paying a whole 48 galleons.  
  
"It's already 5pm, so we better hurry. We only have enough time to get you to Gladrags for some decent robes," Hermione said.  
  
"Ryoukai," Heero said. "Winner?"  
  
"Affirmative," Quatre said, mentally tacking on the new information to the Mission Analysis. "Barton?"  
  
"Seems we will be attending this summer program thing soon. We will arrive at the castle at 1900 hours," Trowa said. "Maxwell?" No answer. "Duo?"  
  
"I'm here!" Duo cried, gasping for breath. "Mission plan as of now is to infiltrate the castle and blend until further information becomes available to us. After this meeting is adjourned we will go to Gladrags and acquire robes. " Duo turned to Wufei, a serious look in his eyes. "Aside from my information, what do we know?"  
  
"I have gathered that we were brought here, possibly through time, specifically to attend this program. I believe that old man is behind all this. We either take him or corner him. Either way he is our target now," Wufei said.  
  
"Can't eliminate. He's too well known and loved. We'll have to corner him. Tonight, after the banquet they're sure to have," Duo said. The other pilots nodded.  
  
"Weapons?" Heero said.  
  
"Quarterstaff in good condition, 01," Quatre said automatically. "Revolver primed and ready."  
  
"Katanas in good condition, 01," Wufei said. "Browning Model III primed and ready."  
  
"Knives and dagger in good condition, 01," Duo answered. ".38 Magnum primed and ready."  
  
"44. primed and ready, 01," Trowa said.   
  
"Primed and ready," Heero said, accounting for his multiple guns in one sentence. "02, I understand your excitement with this world, but try to blend in our you will become a detriment to the mission and a liability to us. You know what fate awaits a liability, ne?"  
  
"Death, 01," Duo said softly.  
  
"Hn. 04, inform us if your space heart tells you anything," Heero continued.  
  
"Affirmative," Quatre answered. Nodding once to each other, the boys proceeded to Gladrags, unaware that Harry, Hermione and Ginny had seen the whole thing.  
  
***TBC***  
  
And here it is. Your Welcome. ^_~ Review!!! 


	5. The Sorting

Part Four: The Sorting 

After an hour in Gladrags Robe Shoppe, Duo and the other pilots were burnt out. Heero had a new set of robes, one black one blue. Duo got two black, Quatre a cream color and a light blue, Trowa a green and brown, and Wufei a black and grey. They all got dress robes, though Hermione said they shouldn't because they'd need them in House colors. (Heero got dark blue, Duo got dark violet, Quatre ocean blue, Trowa emerald green, and Wufei got a pristine white.) They all got wizard made dress shoes to go with them.

"Don't you think you all should change into a pair of your robes?" Hermione asked.

"No," the boys chorused. Hermione backed up and laughed nervously.

"Well, I suppose you can get your school robes tomorrow at Diagon Alley, and then you'll change ," she suggested.

"You'll have to," said Harry. "There'll be quite a few wizards and witches at this summer thing, and you wish to blend, I gather?"

"Yes," Quatre said simply.

"Personally, I think you guys are cool," Harry said, grinning.

"Yeah, like when Mr.Yuy stared down Malfoy? Smashing!" Ginny exclaimed, then blushed.

"Honestly, Virginia! You're beginning to sound like Ronald," Hermione scolded.

"Harry Potter thinks I'm cool? WAI!" Duo cried, closing his eyes and twirling in bliss. Ginny and Hermione giggled and Harry blushed.

"Duo!" Trowa snapped, raised his voice in warning. Duo immediately straightened and bowed sheepishly.

"I thought you said you didn't care that I was famous," Harry said somewhat warily.

"Oh, it's nuthin'. I'm just excited 'cuz of this whole place. Nuthin' cool ever happens to me," Duo said quickly, apology evident in his worry filled violet eyes.

"You'd think being in life and death situations would be thrilling, but nooo, Shinigami must have more," Wufei muttered darkly. Duo beamed so brightly the teens had to turn their heads to avoid blindness.

"Aww! Wu-chan made a joke! I'm so proud!" Duo crowed, glomping onto Wufei.

"My name is WuFEI!" the oriental pilot snarled. "Get OFF me, Maxwell!"

"Why is it that boy always seems to want to jump someone's bones?" Ginny asked, eyeing the struggling Wufei and giggling Duo.

"Duo's the touchy, feely type," Quatre answered.

"And what did Wufei mean by life and death situations?" Harry asked.

"We are soldiers fighting in a war right now. We have lived through four wars so far, and their is blood on our hands," Heero said bluntly. The group quieted.

"Don't mind Yuy," Trowa said. He said nothing else, but the mere fact he spoke made everyone calmer.

"What language are you speaking? You all keep saying stuff we don't understand," Hermione said. Harry nodded.

"It's Japanese," Quatre said. "I'm Arabian, Duo's American, Trowa's European, Wufei's Mandarin and Heero's half-Japanese, and speaks his native language fluently. When we first met he used to use it to insult us."

"So we took it upon ourselves to learn all we needed to know to counter Heero's insults," Trowa said. Heero just sighed and ignored them, clearly displeased with their course of action.

"What did you expect, Hee-baby? We're Gundam pilots. You know how we work. You do it all the time!" Duo said, suddenly appearing on Harry's left.

"Sometimes, Maxwell, I really do think you're Shinigami," Heero said. To everyone's alarm and discomfort, two fat, really adorable tears fell from Duo's wide violet eyes.

"Oh Hee-chan!" Duo cried, sniffing loudly. He threw himself into Heero's startled arms, the Wing pilot hugging him on instinct. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me!"

"Sometimes, Maxwell, I think you are actually sane," Wufei said. "Then you do something twisted like this."

Violet eyes flashed as Duo spun on Wufei, still in Heero's arms. He was now pressed up against the Perfect Soldier, his back to Heero's front. "What would you know, Justice Boy? Always prancin' around screamin' at people and callin' 'em weak. At least Heero has a softer side."

"Well, his softer side seems to be in shock," Harry said, pointing at the silent pilot. Duo turned in still arms and gazed up into glazed Prussian blue eyes.

"Oi, Hee-babe! Anyone there?" he called, waving his hands in front of Heero's face. Not getting a response, Duo decided to take drastic measures. He screwed up his face and proceeded in a perfect immitation of Doctor J. "Remember the mission, 01.Inefficiency will not be tolerated. Carry out the mission at all costs. Do you read me, 01?"

"Ninmu, ryoukai," Heero said coldly, the glazed look in his eyes disappearing. He looked down in his arms and noticed Duo blinking owlishly at him. He shoved the American away. "Breach of protocol memorandem, section 5, column 3, paragraph 2--" He began.

"Invasion of personal space is detrimental to the mission unless specifically commanded," Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei chorused. "We know, Yuy." Heero had the grace to flush a little and turn away. Duo's giggling filled the silence. Hermione looked down at her watch.

"Oh, Merlin, we're late! It's 6:10! Hurry up, boys!" Hermione said. She grabbed Harry and Heero's hands and dashed off toward the Three Broomsticks, Ginny and the others scrambling after her. They all fell through the door at the same time.

"It's about time!" said Blaise, sitting regally by an impassive Draco. Latched onto the blond was Pansy, and a few feet away were Lisa and Terry. Susan Bones sat alone at a table, head down and drooling, and Mitchell leaned against the wall near the fireplace. The five boys snarled when they saw him, and he jumped.

"Welcome back, children. I'm afraid you are a bit late, but no worries. Hogwarts commands the carriages, and I have a bit of authority over Hogwarts. It's still its own building, though," Dumbledore said, rising gracefully from a bar stool. "Miss Granger, I take it you remember where to board the carriages?"

"Of course, Headmaster. I was here but a month ago," Hermione said. She curtsied quickly to the Headmaster, then turned to her fellow teens. "Come along, children," she said. Most of them scowled but obeyed, unable to resist her matronly nature. Dumbledore chuckled. She would be the next McGonagall.

"Your trunks and brooms have already been sent to Hogwarts, along with anything you purchased today that you couldn't carry. I'll see you all at the castle," he said, smiling. As the students left, he allowed himself a fatherly smile, then a small frown. There was something about those boys. Something he was sure he knew but couldn't quite remember.

The carriage ride was uneventful, barring the incident when Duo tossed Wufei's katanas out the window in anger, forcing all the carriages to stop so the irate Chinese teen could retrieve them. If you looked close enough you could see Heero Yuy banging his head against the carriage wall discreetly. As if to hide and vent his frustration at the same time.

They arrived at the school and piled out of the carriages. All five boys and Harry stopped a moment to pet the thestrals that drew the carriages, then left the scaly cousins of horses to approach the castle.They were met on the steps by a cat with strange markings around its eyes. Duo eyed it curiously, then bent forward. He leaned down until his nose almost touched that of the unmoving cat.

"Professor McGonagall, ma'am?" he said questioningly. With a yowl the cat backed up, then began to morph into the slim form of a very stern-looking old woman with hair pulled back into a tight bun and wire-rimmed spectacles that matched the cat's eye markings exactly.

"However did you know me, young man? I've never seen you before, and you certainly weren't in my class last year," Minerva McGonagall said breathlessly as she straightened her rumpled robes.

"Apparently there are Muggle books about the wizarding world were he comes from, Professor," said Ginny. "It sounds very detailed, and it mentions everything from Draco Malfoy to Professor Lupin's lycanthropy."

"Is that so? Well, Dumbledore must know of this, most certainly," the Deputy Headmistress stated. She turned to Harry amd Hermione. "Hello, children. I see you have some Ravenclaws and Slytherins with you. And of course, Miss Bones." Susan Bones blushed and looked down, her slightly plump face red.

Draco sniffed disdainfully. "Professor, can you please be so kind as to move? Maybe Potter likes to hang out on Hogwarts' doorstep, but I would very much like dinner and a warm bed. It has been a tedious day," he said.

"Tedious? How is it tedious for you? What about the foreign students? They grew up as Muggles, then were thrust into the wizarding world!" Ginny exclaimed. "I admit you're a tad better, Malfoy, but you obviously have very warped views of what can be seen as tedious."

Draco, Harry, and all the others stared at Ginny, Draco's face flushed as if trying to decide whether to be in a towering rage or furious embarassment. Suddenly, before them, Professor McGonagall began clapping, Hermione, Harry and the five -well, four; Heero didn't clap - pilots joined them. Draco finally decided on injured disdain. He huffed and glided elegantly past the Headmistress. Harry unconsciously watched the blond's hips as he passed.

"Right then," said McGonagall. "Show me the foreigner Muggles, then?"

Duo stepped forward. "I don't believe we are Muggles, Professor. Why else would Dumbledore send us those letters? Also, Quatre and Trowa have shown undisputable signs of having magic in some form or other."

"Well said, um..." McGonagall began.

"Maxwell, Professor. Duo Maxwell. I run, I hide, but I never lie," Duo recited.

"Unfortunately," Wufei muttered. Duo immediately spun on him and he groaned.

"Love ya too, Wu-man. Despite the emmense stick up your ass," Duo said, grinning.

"Er, thanks?" Wufei said dolefully.

"Well, come along," McGonagall said, hustling the teenagers in. "Follow Miss Granger to the Great Hall for dinner and the sorting. Go on, now."

All the teens followed Hermione through the castle and into the Great Hall, an emmence room with a ceiling enchanted to reflect the sky outside and large tables to accomadate the students and teachers.

"That's the Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, and the Head table for the teachers and such. When you're sorted you can sit at your designated table," Hermione informed them.

"When do we get to where the Sorting Hat?" Duo asked excitedly, his gaze darting around until it lit on an old, worn, completely unspecial stool near the Head table. His grin widened and the other pilots looked at him curiously. He just gave them mysterious looks.

"Right now, Mr. Maxwell. Welcome to Hogwarts," said a familiar grandfatherly voice. Everyone turned to meet the sight of Dumbledore dressed in puke green robes, his eyes twinkling madly.

"What happened, Albus?!" McGonagall asked, horrified. Dumbledore had impeccable taste. He would never normally wear such horrendous robes, and his eyes were a bit out of control.

"Well, Minerva, I was in the Dungeons with Severus when we got into a bit of an argument," Dumbledore said quickly and somewhat giddily. "I believe what he threw at me was a Hyperactive Potion and a Discoloration Potion. Mixed, they reap quite interesting results."

The group stared at the Headmaster, the only sounds of the students in the Great Hall beyond. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled faster.

"Albus, maybe you shouldn't give the welcoming speech. I'm sure Severus can handle it. Let me take you to your office and someone will send Poppy up," McGonagall said soothingly, as she led the Headmaster up the grand staircase and around a corner. Susan left the group to locate Madam Pomphrey, the school medi-witch.

Hermione turned to the remaining teens. "Well, come along. Go to your tables and anyone that needs to be sorted, line up in front of the Head table," she said, pushing open the massive doors. Blaise, Pansy, Terry, Lisa and Ginny entered and branched off, sitting at different tables. The pilots and Mitchell lined up infront of the Head table. The old, worn stool Duo had been eyeing now had an equally worn wizard's hat on it.

The Great Hall was already filled with more than half of the usual students staying over for the summer programme, mostly Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. The tables were slightly smaller than usual, and the Head table was already filled, Dumbledore, Pomphrey and McGonagall noticably absent. Receiving a whispered explanation from Hermione, Snape stood up and the Great Hall quieted.

"Students, professors, staff, welcome back, though it isn't like the professors weren't already here. It seems Headmaster Dumbledore is indisposed at the moment, evil smirk, so I, Severus Snape, will be conducting the sorting," said the greasy haired man. His hawk like black eyes scanned the six boys before the Head table. "You boys, see if you can get into alphabetical order while the hat gives it's riveting performance." Here the Slytherins snorted and Snape smirked again. The Sorting Hat opened it's 'mouth' and the six teenage boys began to move.

Why are students here?   
Summertime is out there!  
Is there a reason why   
All of you are inside?   
Oh wait, I remember   
The summer programme   
You're the children of parents   
Who don't give a damn   
Now don't mind me   
I've had a bad day   
Been locked up for a month   
Now I'm in a dusty way   
With a bit of fresh air   
And a rhyme or two   
I'll be sprite as a pixie   
No more wizard's flu   
Now who am I sorting?   
Kids from another time?   
Oh, to be able to see them   
I'd give more than a dime   
Come sit on my chair, lads   
Put me on your head   
Hurry up, move along   
Quit moving like the dead   
Just plop your arse here   
I'll see what I can do   
I'll choose the correct House   
That's just right for you

As the Sorting Hat finished it's song, several students, including Quatre and Duo, clapped enthusiasticly.

"Silence!" The Hall quieted. Snape turned to the teens before the table. "Well? Budge up, boys. I haven't all night." The boys, now in alphabetical order, moved forward. It went Trowa, Duo, Wufei, Heero, Mitchell and Quatre.

"Bloom, Triton," Snape said. Trowa stepped forward, lifted the hat and sat in the chair. He glanced at Duo, who nodded, then plopped the hat on his head.

_(Hm. Triton Bloom, eh? Not from this time, I don't think. Your great grandmother Marisa Bloom is a fine witch, let me tell you)_

Don't you have a job to do? Trowa asked.

_(Impatient, eh? Just like your great grandfather Triton. Same hair, too. Well, better get to the point, eh? You seem noble and brave enough, but more loyal and loving than anything else. I'd have to say HUFFLEPUFF!)_

The last word was yelled and Trowa jumped, toppling from the small stool. Clapping from the Hufflepuff table erupted, and Susan Bones came forward to lead the recovering Trowa over to the table.

"Attaboy, Trowa!" came Duo's cheer. Trowa cracked a very small ghost of a smile. Duo grinned back.

"Cassell, Daniel." No one moved. "Cassell, Daniel," Snape repeated. Duo shifted very slightly. "For Merlin's sake, Mr. Maxwell!" Duo jumped, then looked uneasy. Finally, he sighed and headed for the chair, sitting in it and putting on the hat. The last thing he heard was Quatre's voice asking if Daniel was Duo's real name.

_(Another Cassell, eh?)_

I want nothing to do with them, Duo snapped.

_(You don't, eh? Hm. I see a darkness in you that other Cassell's never had. You've seen too much death, taken too many lives. There is only one place for you...)_

No! Don't put me in--

_"SLYTHERIN!_" the hat shouted.

The Great Hall went silent and Duo didn't move. Finally he removed the Sorting Hat and stood, looking back on Quatre. The small blond had a sympathetic look on his face, but also one of understanding. He knew why Duo was put in Slytherin. Whispers started up from all four tables as Duo went to sit next to Draco Malfoy. Seeing the seat taken by Pansy, Duo calmly pushed her to the floor and sat down. Pansy jumped to her feet, rage on her face. Before she could say anything, Draco waved a hand and Crabbe and Goyle dragged her away. Both Draco and Duo looked on, identical smirks on their faces. All speculation of why such a happy, carefree boy was in Slytherin promptly died.

"Welcome to Slytherin," Draco said cooly, allowing a small smile to grace his face as Duo grinned back. "Cassell? I've heard of them. They might be blasted Gryffindors, but they are a pretty prominent wizarding family. I would never have taken you for one of them."

"I don't want to be taken for one of those bastards," Duo said darkly, his smile fading. He saw the question in Draco's eyes and smiled softly. "I'll explain later, okay?" Draco nodded and both turned back to the sorting.

"Chang Wufei," Snape said. Wufei walked purposely forward and put on the Sorting Hat, sitting down.

Get on with it, he said immediately. The hat didn't hesitate.

Wufei nodded decisively and removed the hat, replacing it on the stool. Terry Boot came forward and showed him where to sit at the Ravenclaw table, beside a girl with blonde hair a strange shade and purple eyes that reminded him of their Alliance Medic, Sally Po.

"Nihao. My name is Suiren Zao Po of the Water Lily Clan," she said. Wufei looked taken aback, but then bowed in his seat.

"Chang Wufei of the Dragon Clan, Lady of the Water Lily," he said respectfully. Sandra giggled as Terry looked on in interest.

"Lowe, Odin," came Snape's voice. Heero stepped forward and slipped on the hat. He didn't bother sitting.

_(Lowe? Is that you, young Odin? I remember sorting you so many years ago. I can't very well do it again.)_

Accepted, Heero said.

_(In that case, I'll have to put you in the House you began here in. Is that alright? I know you want to be where ever that Cassell boy is...)_

Accepted, Heero said, preparing to remove the hat.

_(All right, then. GRYFFINDOR!)_

Heero removed the hat and replaced it on the chair, then headed to the table he saw Harry at. Harry made Ginny move down a seat, making room for him beside the Boy Who Lived. Heero slipped into the seat and began to study his illedged cousin out the corner of his eye. Black hair a shade darker than his own dark brown. Eyes a green a bit brighter than his blue. Same nose and cheeks. Someone elses chin and forehead. Definitely family. As Harry turned to talk to him, Heero decided to discuss his lineage with Harry later that night.

"Hey, Heero! You're in Gryffindor? That's great! Meet my friend Ron, and his girlfriend Parvati Patil. She has a twin called Padma in Ravenclaw," Hermione said rapidly. Heero turned his cold blue eyes on the boy with violently red hair and freckles beside her. He was holding the hand of a pretty dark haired girl and his blue eyes sparkled.

"Hullo, mate? You look kinda like Harry, didja know?" the redhead said. Heero looked startled for a moment before he schooled his features back into an expressionless mask. He merely nodded at the kid and turned back to the sorting. Mitchell was next.

"Pemberton, Mitchell."

Mitchell hurried to the hat and slipped it on, settling down on the stool.

_(Oh...you...)_

Is there a problem? Mitchell asked.

_(Oh nothing. Just that I can see your future, and you aren't have the git then that you are today...)_

I'm a git?! Why you--

_(I don't know if I can stand being on your head very long. Better put you in SLYTHERIN. Oh yes, tell that adorable blond child he has no need to don me. He's in Hufflepuff.)_

Shakily, Mitchell removed the Sorting Hat from his head and replaced it on the stool. He moved toward the Slytherin table, but stopped and turned to Quatre. "The Sorting Hat says that you are to be in Hufflepuff, so there is no need for you to put the hat on." With that, Mitchell stumbled to his seat and plopped down between Blaise and some blonde girl with forked eyebrows.

"Darline Catilia," the girl said cooly, a spark of interest in her cold blue eyes.

"Mitchell Pemberton," Mitchell said, slightly uneasy with the girl's regard.

"Are you related to that disgusting Hufflepuff, Rellina Pemberton?" Darline questioned, sounding anything but disgusted. In fact, she sounded intrigued.

"Y-yes," Mitchell said, trying to discreetly inch away from her. Darline just inched along with him.

"So why are you just coming to Hogwarts?" she asked. Mitchell prepared to lie and Darline's eyes glinted. "And don't bother to lie, because I'll find out sooner or later. Here in Slytherin we have our secrets, yes, but everyone else's is also ours."

"Rellina and I grew up seperately, her here in England with a distant cousin, and I with my wealthy uncle in France. I went to Beauxbatons while she went here," he said promptly.

"Really?" Darline said in a tone too oily for his liking. "Maybe later you could introduce us." It wasn't a question, but a command. All he could do was nod.

Meanwhile, Quatre moved over to the Hufflepuff table and sat between Trowa and Susan. He smiled at his lover, then turned a less intimate smile on the table. The smile froze and he almost choked on air as he spotted a sight he thought never to see here.

"What is it, little one?" Trowa asked quietly, as the blond girl Quatre was staring at turned to them and smiled.

"Relena," Quatre garbled, struggling to breathe around the evil stalker girl.

"Hi! How'd you know my name? Are you psychic? 'Cuz if you are that's cool. My brother's not cool. He's an arsehole, but I still love 'im. So are you really psychic? If you aren't, then lemme tell you my name. It's Rellina Pemberton-Dorci. When you said it, it came out all wrong, though I might name my kid that. Do you have any kids? Good, you shouldn't. You're too young to--" she rambled, finally cut off when Susan put a hand over her mouth.

"Sorry about her rambling, Mr. Quatre," she said.

"Please, just Quatre," Quatre said, mildly embarassed and still astonished at the sight of the girl with cornflower blue eyes that they had left behind in AC 196.

"Hey, Quatre, is it? Do you know that hot kid with the messy hair and cold eyes? He's gorgeous. Lowe something, right? I'd love to date him," Rellina rambled. Quatre groaned, then sighed sympathetically. Poor Heero.

Tsuzuku or TBC


	6. Cornering Dumbledore

Part Five: Cornering Dumbledore  
  
"Now that that's all over and done with, I can introduce your teachers and we may finally begin dinner," Snape said, an appraising look still on several of the newly sorted students. Something about the Lowe boy really caught him. He looked familiar.  
  
"Right then. As most of you know, I am your Potions Professor, Severus Snape. Also, I am a Master of Potions, and am well known in the wizarding world. Meaning I know more about potions than you do, so never be so crass as to question me, or you will learn why I am in Slytherin," he said coldly. "Right, Miss Granger?" Hermione jumped and squeaked, then settled down and looked embarassed.  
  
"Thank you, Severus," said Professor McGonagall, coming from a door behind the Head table, a Dumbledore in baby blue robes behind her. She slipped into her seat and turned to smile at the students. "I am Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher here at Hogwarts. I am also the Deputy Headmistress, so if there is ever a time when you cannot find Headmaster Dumbledore, come to my office on the first floor. "Professor McGonagall smiled then gestured towards a man with shoulder length black hair pulled back in a pony tail and black eyes. "All the Professors will continue introducing themselves, then we may have dinner."  
  
The man she gestured at stood up. "My name is Mucha Yukan, your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this summer programme and hopefully next school year," he said. "My name means, roughly, "Fears nothing", though I could debate that with my mother. I hope you enjoy my class, and that nothing happens while I hold that post." Professor Yukan bowed and sat down.  
  
"Call me Professor Sprout, yes? I teach Herbology outside in the green houses. Hope to see you all there bright and early tomorrow!" said a plump, grey-haired woman.  
  
Next came Lidia Stiffwind, a stand in for Madam Hooch who was in Austria on vacation. After her was, surprising, Oliver Wood. He'd taken the summer off Puddlemere United so he could assist students who couldn't play Quidditch to save their grandmothers. Sibyll Trelawney was still the resident Divination Professor, and Linus Flitwick was the Charms. The dead Professor Binns was still History of Magic, and Rubeus Hagrid was still Care of Magical Creatures. Astronomy was Professor Sinistra, and Ancient Studies was a Miss Jenna Kraden. The new class, Wandless Arts, was taught by a Professor Mallen Oak. Another new class, Dragons, was unsurprisingly taught by another new addition to the staff, Charlie Weasley.  
  
The Weasley twins had skipped out on school during the Umbridge incident, so to help forgive any missed classes, and to retake the Newts, they were teaching what they called Weasleys Alchemy, or W.A. for short. The class generally consisted of how to use ingenuity to create potions and spells for your every need, with Weasley Wizard Wheezes as an example. Unbeknowest to McGonagall, they planned to use the end of the period to sell some of their products. Muggles Studies was taught by a Gradia Seles. Runes and Arithmancy was taught by Professor Vector, and the names of the school's certified Medi-witch and the detention management, Pomphrey and Argus Filch, were given, along with the Library Mistress, Madam Pince.  
  
"Well, that's that, I say," said a fully recovered Dumbledore. "Now, as per usual, students under 7th year aren't allowed in the Forbidden Forest. It was named that for a reason. On that note, 7th years that do go in must be accompanied by a teacher. Quidditch will not be performed this year, but small interHouse teams may be formed. A team can consist of people from any House, as long as your Head of House approves. That said, let me give you a few words of wisdom: Twinkle, twinkle, comfy, warm, puffy, fluffy, WAFFLES! Thank you, and enjoy the feast!"  
  
The students stared at Dumbledore, most wondering if he was mad. Only Heero had a secretive smirk on his face, knowing that the words were from a shoujo anime called 'Sugar'. He was distracted from his musings by the appearance of food before him. He was mildly surprised, but he was sure Duo would explain it to him later.  
  
Meanwhile, said boy was standing up from the Slytherin table and moving off. A pale hand grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt.  
  
"Where are you going?" Draco Malfoy asked. Duo tossed his braid over his shoulder and grinned.  
  
"To sit with Heero, of course!" he chirped, turning to continue on his way. Draco tugged on his arm again. "What?"  
  
"You can't sit at the Gryffindor table," he hissed, conscious of all the people watching them.  
  
"Why not?" Duo asked, tilting his head cutely. Draco sighed, then inwardly grinned. He wondered how good the braided boy's powers of persuasion were, and whether he could use them.  
  
"It's just not done," was the blond's answer. "Gryffindor and Slytherin have been enemies since Hogwarts was made."  
  
"Not true," Duo interrupted. "I have it on good authority that the House rivalries started after Salazar Slytherin died, and that Godric Gryffindor was distantly related to him. Also, Salazar Slytherin was in quite the passionate relationship with Helga Hufflepuff. She was quite stunning in her time."  
  
"How do you know all this?" Draco asked, stunned.  
  
"I read," Duo said, not mentioning the fact that all the information he was saying was from the seventh book. "Don't you remember what the Sorting Hat said last year? Unite or crumble. Shouldn't we try to listen?"  
  
Draco stared. He'd never given the Sorting Hat another thought though he had changed over the first part of summer. He guessed now was as good a time as any to change fully. "What should I do, then?"  
  
"Come sit with me at the Gryffindor table, and show the school that interhouse relations is what's needed now. I can assure you, doing this will tip the balance in the fight against Voldemort toward the light side," Duo said.  
  
"You said his name," said Draco. "You're either very brave or very stupid."  
  
"I've been called stupid often enough, and I'm obviously not very brave. If I was I'd be in Gryffindor," Duo muttered.  
  
"Not necessarily. Who would want to be a goody-goody Gryffindor, anyway? It's better if you just date one and leave it at that," Draco said, then promptly looked surprised.  
  
Duo giggled. "You wanna date someone in Gryffindor? Who? Come on, tell me!" he said, leaning closer eagerly. Draco looked uncomfortable, sliding a quick look at the object of his affection. Harry Potter was sitting beside one of the foreign students and talked animatedly. Blushing very, very lightly, Draco headed for the Gryffindor table. Duo dragged his feet in surprise. Draco turned on him.  
  
"Well, come on, then. Quickly, before I change my mind," he muttered. Duo squealed happily and dragged Draco to the Gryffindor table. He moved beside Heero.  
  
"Hey, Hee-chan! Look who I brought! Can we sit here?" Duo asked loudly, causing the Great Hall to look at him. Most of the students stared, and the Gryffindors' lips curled.  
  
"Who's he?" Ron asked, sneering at Duo. "And what's Malfoy doin' with him? You know this Slytherin, Heero?"  
  
Heero Yuy looked up to see Duo standing beside him with the pale blond from the Three Broomsticks. Duo looked a little angry but understanding at the same time.  
  
"Duo is..." The braided boy watched Heero curiously as he spoke. "...my friend," Heero finished. Duo flashed him a wide grin and he decided that pushing his mask aside for a bit was a good idea. "And Draco Malfoy is the boy I met today at the Three Broomsticks."  
  
"The Three Broomsticks? What were you doin' there? I heard that's where the foreign students were comin' in, and that only a select few of Dumbledore's most trusted students would be allowed to meet them ther--wait, Malfoy was there?!" Ron rambled. He looked at Duo and Heero incrediously. "You're the foreign students?"  
  
"Duo Maxwell," Duo said, grinning. Hermione smiled at him, which Ron caught.  
  
"You were there too, 'Mione? Who else was there?" Ron demanded.  
  
"Ron, I don't think--" Harry began.  
  
"Who.Else.Was.There?" Ron asked in clipped tones.  
  
"Malfoy, Pansy, Blaise, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Lisa Turpin, me, Harry, Ginny and that Pemberton kid that was sorted," Hermione said hurriedly.  
  
"Parkinson! Zabini!" Ron raged.  
  
"Calm down, Ron!" Harry pleaded.  
  
"Calm down!? No! I can see what's going on here! It's always Harry, isn't it? And you, Hermione, always the smart, important one! And what am I, nothing but another redheaded Weasley," Ron ranted.  
  
"Glad you finally understand, Weasel," Draco drawled.  
  
"Ron, that isn't true!" Hermione said.  
  
"No? Then why did Ginny get to go, hm? Tell me that!" he said.  
  
"I don't know!" Hermione yelled, drawing the attention of the entire Great Hall. "I don't know. Why don't you go ask Dumbledore instead of yelling at Harry and I about your insecurities. And if you really cared about them so much, you wouldn't be yelling them out for Malfoy and the new kids to hear!" With that, Hermione stood and gestured to Duo. "Sit!" she barked, gesturing to the place she'd vacated. She pushed Harry out of his seat, then waved to Malfoy. "You too!" Startled, Draco sat.  
  
Harry stood and dusted himself off, indignant. "Hey! Where are we supposed to sit now?" he demanded.  
  
"A moment," Hermione said quietly, watching Ron's incredious face. A second later Harry's question was answered.  
  
"So that's how it is, eh? Why are you so buddy buddy with Malfoy now? You know what, nevermind! I don't want to know what you did over the summer, and I refuse to sit with someone with so little dignity as to consort with a Malfoy!" With that empassioned speech, Ron stood. "Come on, Parvati!" He dragged his girlfriend out of her seat and marched off, Parvati throwing an apologetic look over her shoulder and mouthing, 'Talk to you later?' Hermione nodded and smiled. She turned to Harry and bowed, a hand sweeping out to the newly vacated seats.  
  
"Well?" she said, primly sitting in Ron's previous seat. Shrugging, Harry slipped into Parvati's. Hermione turned to Duo. "Nice move with bringing Draco over here. Reminds me of the Sorting Hat's warning. What better way to get it through everyone's head than to start with Slytherin and Gryffindor?" Duo smiled his thanks.  
  
"I've been meaning to ask you," Harry said. "When did you get all nice with Malfoy? Today at the Three Broomsticks he called you a Mudblood and you cheerily answered with 'Ferret Face.' No offense to your intelligence, 'Mione, but something doesn't quite fit."  
  
"S'okay, Harry. I understand. I guess it's time to tell you what I've been up to this summer, hm?" she said. Harry, Duo, and even Heero nodded. "Well, the day we went home, after I last saw you on the train with Moody, Remus and Tonks, I decided to write a letter about my feelings concerning our House rivalries and how it was affecting the balance between darkness and light. As you know, I tend to go off on a tangent sometimes--" Harry snorted and Hermione threw him a sharp look. "--and it turned into three pieces of 12 inch parchment. And to make matters worse, I lost it on the Platform. So, feeling incredibly peeved, I went home and tore up my room in anger."  
  
Hermione caught the disbelieving looks she was receiving. "What? I can get properly angry, you know. I'm the same as any other girl here at Hogwarts!" she said. "And you know me and homework. I felt as if I'd lost a favorite project. Anyway, low and behold, I received an owl. The owl had my letter and another attached to its leg. The second letter was a response to mine, and had no name or address on it. It was very well written, and countered everything I said. I got angry again, but realized that whoever sent this would be a worthy adversary in a debate. And so, I wrote a quick response -only a few feet or so- and instructed the owl to take it back to the owner.  
  
"A few days later I received a response, and from then on I had a sort of invisible pen pal, free to speak my mind and debate with. After awhile, the subject of House rivalry soured and we moved onto other things, namely the lives of the students at Hogwarts. I had long ago deduced that my pen pal was a Hogwarts student and we shared various insights on the way it was run and propaganda seen at school."  
  
Harry and the others listened avidly, expressions of intense interest on their faces.  
  
"After that it was only natural to move onto our personal lives. I told him about my friends here at Hogwarts, you, Harry, and Ron. And I told him about being muggle-born and also of my intelligence. I knew that my pen pal knew who I was. They'd sent my letter back, didn't they? But what made me uneasy is that I didn't know who I was talking to. For some reason it never occured to me to wonder who the person was. Sure, he'd told me he was afraid of the dark, and that he had a pension for large chocolate consumption. It was a weakness, really. But I could be talking to Voldemort for all I know.  
  
"That was when I started subtly asking who he was. And yes, it was a 'he'. For the longest while I thought I was talking to a girl, with his penchant for ending letters with little worries about his nails and hair, but eventually he told me his gender. Surprisingly, it didn't put me off. I found him to be an intelligent person, and that made gender meaningless. Still, I wanted to know who he was. In the end, though he was very cunning, an ice cream sundae was his downfall.  
  
"You see, the day he wrote the letter that revealed his identity, he was at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in Diagon Alley. He'd written that he'd ordered a chocolate parfait, because it was perfect like him. Whatever. Anyway, his writing started out detached, with the sentence 'I just pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket', and he generally went on about his order and how good it was for a good while. Eventually he got to the usual important matters, then his fairwell about his poor delicate skin. But he didn't realize that he finally gave me the clue I needed to figure out who he was. It was a pretty big clue. He'd written to me on some of his personalized stationary, that he just happened to keep in his robe pocket for emergencies." Hermione stopped a moment to take a sip of pumpkin juice and check the clock. Satisfied they had plenty of time, she continued.  
  
"The paper said in rather large and intricate lettering, 'Draco Lucifer Malfoy, fourth heir of Malfoy Manor and son to Lucius Malfoy Esq., current lord of Malfoy Manor.' That was a dead giveaway, if there ever was one. Unless Blaise Zabini walks around with Malfoy personalized stationary," Hermione finished. She took another sip of pumpkin juice, then turned to her riveted audience. Draco sat a bit apart from the rest, a light blush on his pale face, and Duo had a huge grin on his.  
  
"So Draco gave away his identity through stationary? Classic!" the braided boy said, laughing. Harry joined in and Heero smirked.  
  
"So what your saying is that you and Malfoy became friends through correspondence? You didn't stop when you found out who it was?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not at all. If I had, it wouldn't have gone well for me. You have to remember, I told Malfoy quite a bit about me, so he had blackmailing material for the next twenty odd years. I couldn't just drop him," Hermione answered. "Besides, after I raged at him in a twenty foot long letter--"  
  
"Which I didn't bother to read," Draco muttered.  
  
"--I decided this new friendship was okay and that I forgave him. Also, he quite thoroughly explained his actions for the past five years, and the reasons why he so drastically changed. Besides the occasional Mudblood or Ferret comment, we're good."  
  
The group sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Duo and Harry said at the exact same moment,"Whoa." Hermione giggled and Draco smirked.  
  
"I hope you all are enjoying your dinners," came Dumbledore's voice suddenly.  
  
"Damn. We've listened to Hermione so long we forgot about Dumbledore's speech," muttered Harry. Duo stood just a bit and signalled for Trowa, Quatre and Wufei to sit at their table. Said boys quickly stood and headed their way, when Duo remembered there were no extra seats.  
  
"Sorry, Hee-chan. It's in the line of duty this time," Duo muttered quickly, before suddenly standing up and reseating himself in a startled Heero's lap. "Don't say a word." Heero obediently said nothing, his training kicking in. When Trowa and Quatre arrived, Duo gestured to his empty seat. Nodding, Trowa sat down and Quatre sat in his lap. Noticing Wufei still didn't have a seat, Duo looked frantically around.  
  
"Don't worry," Hermione said. She stood quickly and plopped down in Harry's lap, the dark haired boy unfazed. "Harry's my best friend and he won't mind me borrowing his lap for a while." Hermione didn't notice the dark look Draco was sending her. Wufei finally reached the table and slipped into the seat Hermione had vacated in favor of Harry's lap.  
  
"What do you need?" he asked, speaking for all of them. Trowa, Heero and Quatre all leaned slightly forward so that the five boy's were partially insulated. They couldn't entirely avoid Draco, Harry and Hermione hearing them, but they could keep out the Irish blond to the left and Ginny Weasley, who kept shooting them interested looks.  
  
"Tell you after Dumbledore's speech," Duo said quickly. Everyone leaned back again and prepared to listen to the old man, completely dismissing the shocked and curious looks Gryffindor table was getting.  
  
"I apologize for cutting your meal short, but I would like to inform last years Prefects that they will actively continue their roles and will receive their own rooms somewhere inside their dorms. Please lead the new Prefects along the path of perfectness," the Headmaster said, chuckling at his small analogy. "On that note, the fifth year Prefects have the password and will have to inform you before you retire to bed. Thank you, and have a great year. It is a half hour to curfew, so I expect you all in bed." Still smiling widely, Dumbledore swept out of the Great Hall. When the last fold of his baby blue robes disappeared around a corner, all the food on the tables went with it.  
  
"Aw, man! I didn't even get to eat!" Duo whined, mourning the loss of the kidney pie and pumpkin juice.  
  
"Don't worry, Duo. Harry and I will stop by the kitchen on the way to our dorms and drop off some food with you. Better yet, let Draco," said Hermione.  
  
"Naw, I'll do it," said Harry. "This way I can get Dobby to drop it off directly in your rooms and not get any of us in trouble for being up after hours."  
  
"That's right!" Duo said. "Brilliant!" Harry blushed at his praise.  
  
"Whatever. Get on with what you were saying," Heero interrupted, letting his glare sweep the group, quickly subduing them.  
  
"Right then. Well, we still have to corner Dumbledore and figure out what the hell is going on, and I have it on good authority that his office is behind a gargoyle statue on the third floor," Duo said.  
  
"You mean you played the Harry Potter game for Playstation and marked down all the floors," Quatre muttered. Duo sent him a halfhearted glare, then laughed.  
  
"Right as always, Kit Kat. I could probably figure out the password too, so we can be in his office soon. There we can ask him what he plans for us, and why he took us from our comfy homes in the future," he said.  
  
"You mean our cramped safe house where we were bored out of our minds awaiting another mission," Wufei said. Duo sighed.  
  
"Is everyone determined to be morbid today? Must I do all the work? I'll have you know that being cheerful is a 24/7 job and very tiring. I--" Duo was cut off by Heero's fingers on his lips. His cheeks tinged pink.  
  
"Once everyone starts moving I need Trowa and Wufei at front point and Quatre at center point until we get out of the Great Hall. Since Draco, Harry and Hermione are probably deep in this now, I need you, Wufei, to guard them. Duo and I will follow," Heero said. "Once we are in an empty corridor, Harry will branch off and get us dinner sent up to our seperate dorms, and Hermione will show us exactly were Dumbledore's office is. Once we are there, Hermione, go get Harry and bring him there. I have a feeling that Draco, you and Harry have something to do with this. Understood?"  
  
"Affirmative," Quatre, Duo, Trowa and Wufei chorused.  
  
"Understood," said Harry, Hermione and Draco. Heero nodded decisively then pushed Duo off his lap. At that exact moment everyone in the Great Hall decided they had lingered long enough. The teens quickly got into the formation they'd agreed upon. They hurried out of the Hall, then turned left, darting through the flood of students. Eventually they reached the grand staircase, then climbed that along with hundreds of other students. Before they reached the top someone called out.  
  
"Hey, Draco! Where are you going? It's almost after curfew!" came the call. Draco turned to see Blaise Zabini calling out, Pansy Parkinson directly behind him.  
  
"I feel like exploring, Zabini. Not that it's any of your business," Draco said. "Besides, I think it's pretty Slytherin of me to be out after curfew."  
  
Blaise opened his mouth to agree so he could be on his way, but Pansy beat him to it.  
  
"Not when it involves filthy Gryffindors! That new kid should be horsewhipped for dragging you over to that hell hole! AND he should be flogged for daring to throw your girlfriend out of her seat! I understand you couldn't help me because of your image, Draco, but he still needs to be punished!" she cried. Draco sighed loudly, drawing the attention of several students that slowed to a stop to watch the drama.  
  
"First off, Parkinson, you aren't my girlfriend. Sure, Father forced me to date you for a few years, but now he's in Azkaban and I can do whatever the hell I please. Mother can't do much, being interviewed by the Ministry all the time," he drawled. "Secondly, if you didn't notice, I allowed Duo to throw you out of your chair. Your constant simpering was beginning to annoy me, and quite frankly, your breath could kill a whale from fifty paces." Pansy's mouth opened and closed like a fish as the people surrounding him, including Duo, Harry and even Blaise, began clapping enthusiastically. Draco just smirked. "Now if you will excuse me, I must be going," he said, turning and striding purposefully off, leaving Pansy to fume silently on the stairs.  
  
"Well done, Draco," Hermione said, grinning along with Duo.  
  
"Yes, quite well done Mr. Malfoy," said an oh-too-familiar voice. All eight teens turned oh-so-slowly to meet the twinkling eyes of their Headmaster.  
  
"H-Headmaster Dumbledore, sir," Harry stuttered, turning a bright shade of red. Dumbledore just smiled softly.  
  
"Haven't you children got a Headmaster to corner?" he asked. The teens just stared at him in disbelief. He smiled again. "By the way, I believe Miss Granger should be the one to inform Dobby that his extraordinary talents are needed while the rest of you follow me. After you are through, Miss Granger, please return to your dorm." Hermione nodded quickly and darted off. Dumbledore turned to the remaining boys. "I suspect you have questions. Follow me."  
  
The Headmaster led them through a secret passageway in one of the girl's loos and straight to the third floor. "Hershey's," he told the gargoyle, which lept aside and allowed him to lead them into his office. He took out his wand and waved it twice, conjuring five chairs out of thin air. When the boys sent him questioning looks, Dumbledore just shrugged. "What? You didn't seemed to have a problem sitting on each other before," he said. With that said, Heero sat in one chair with Duo in his lap, Trowa in another with Quatre, and Harry, Draco and Wufei alone.  
  
Dumbledore moved behind his desk and picked up a small pouch. Shaking out a few of it's contents, he offered them to the boys. "Lemon drop?" They shook their heads. "Right then. Well, I guess it is about time I told you about why you were brought here. The explanation involves both Mr.Malfoy and Mr.Potter. You see, it all began with a prophecy..."  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	7. The Prophecy

Part Six: The Prophecy  
  
"....You see, it all began with a prophecy..."  
  
~Flashback~  
  
Dumbledore sat at the Head table during the summer of Harry's first year. Beside him was Sibyll Trelawney and Minerva McGonagall. The other teachers had wisely went to their various homes to avoid any more problems like Voldemort returning and the like.  
  
Dumbledore reached out and picked up one of his favorite treats -treacle fudge- and that is when Sibyll began talking.  
  
"De Cirkel van Vijfzal de duisternis omringen en met behulp van het Scramde Een de Jaded zullen Een, zij aan licht rug aan de wereld brengen."  
  
Minerva and Albus stared at her, one astonished and the other apprehensive. Albus knew that how Sibyll had spoken made what she said a true prophecy. But why was it in Dutch?  
  
"Alright, Sibyll?" McGonagall said slowly, watching the Divination teacher carefully.  
  
"Why, yes, of course, Minerva! Isn't this treacle splendid, Albus?" Sibyll said, completely unfazed. Albus and Minerva shared a look, to talk about it later, then calmly went back to their meals.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
"So, generally, much like the first time I told you about, Harry," Dumbledore said, sparing a glance for the raven haired boy. "Sibyll told another, perfectly true prophecy."  
  
"But what does it mean?" Duo asked. "Sorry to bother you and all, but Dutch wasn't part of my trainin'."  
  
"It was part of mine," Quatre piped up, earning the looks of all the boys. "Could you please repeat the prophecy, sir?" Dumbledore obliged, going slowly so the sixteen year old could easily translate each word. "Alright, from what I can garner, the prophecy generally says 'The Circle of Five will surround the darkness, and with the help of the Scarred One and the Jaded One, they will bring light back to the world.' Just generally, of course."  
  
"Not bad, Kit Kat. Didn't know you knew Dutch," Duo said,grinning.  
  
Quatre blushed. "I also know Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Italian and Arabian," he said softly. "My father believed that the son of a Sultan should be well rounded in the language department."  
  
"Did your sisters have the same treatment?" Trowa asked.  
  
"No. They each knew one other language aside from Arabian, but nothing aside from that. Iria was the only one to learn English and French also, making her grand total three," said Quatre.  
  
"Sisters?" said Draco.  
  
"Yes. I am the youngest of thirty children," Quatre answered. He strongly believed that stating it this way, instead of just dropping the fact that he had more sisters than some men had teeth on the boys.  
  
"You have 29 sisters? Wicked," said Harry, grinning. Then his grin faded and he looked thoughtful. "Wait a minute. You guys keep saying you're from another time, and earlier today Hermione asked if you were related to today's Sultan. You didn't give a clear response, yet now you say you are the son of a Sultan. What am I missing here?"  
  
Quatre looked a mixture of uneasy and apologetic. "Sorry, but I don't really like the publicity being a Prince gives me. Besides, stating that I am one in a time several hundred years past my own wouldn't be wise. What if great grandfather Sudan caught word of it?" he said. "Please don't tell Hermione I lied to her. It does not sit well with my Uchuu no Kokoro."  
  
"Your what?" Draco asked.  
  
"Let's just say it's his magic," Duo said. "Now about us being from another time, I think Headmaster Dumbledore should explain that. It's what we all came to learn, really."  
  
"Hai. And the prophecy wasn't enough," Heero added. "How could you know it was us five? How could you know what time to go to? How could you know we would even accept your ridiculously inadequate letters and come?" Heero's gaze was piercing as he finished off the unusually long sentence.  
  
Dumbledore stood and moved in front of the fireplace. The paintings of past Hogwarts Headmasters were empty, all the men and women off somewhere on their own errands. He turned to the boys, a grave look on his face. "You are right. I couldn't have known who you were, or where to find you. No one but your families would know what would come of their lines," he said, pacing a step forward, then immediately turning and pacing back. "I believe young Draco may be able to explain it in a way you all will understand. Mr.Malfoy?"  
  
"Of course, Headmaster," Draco said. He turned slightly in his chair, causing Heero, Trowa and Harry to turn with him. Duo and Quatre just sat passively and allowed their human chairs to move. "Well, to put it simply, every wizarding family, usually Purebloods but sometimes Muggleborns, have a psychic reading done. By a certified Fortuneteller and Prophet or Prophetess."  
  
"So what you are saying is that some wizarding families have readings done about themselves?" Wufei asked.  
  
"No. The reading is for their children. Right after a child is born in a wizarding family, a Prophet or Prophetess is brought forward to do their augurs -which you'll learn about in Arithmancy- and read their palms or just plain touch them and divinate," Draco continued. "Those families that have a child that will become someone important, like a Ministry official, will get a straight forward reading about that child's qualities."  
  
"And a child that will do great things gets a vague reading, usually a sentence or nonsense paragraph," Dumbledore finished for him. "These sentences or paragraphs form prophecies to be carried out when all the clues are together. Not many prophecies are fulfilled, since this task is nearly impossible, but there are a few that do. For example, yours."  
  
"How did you put together the prophecy?" Trowa asked.  
  
"It was hard, but the families involved did it themselves, through a series of circumstances. For example, the Potters. Lily came to me the week after Harry was born with a strange request. She wanted me, a man with almost no prophetic powers, to do the reading on Harry," Dumbledore said. "She said that James claimed that he knew Harry would do great things, and that the power of the Prophet would not matter because the prophecy would be pretty evident anyway." Dumbledore turned one more time. "She was right."  
  
"That night, I did the reading on Harry. And came up with nothing but two words. 'Scarred One.' I didn't understand until more than a year later, when Voldemort tried to kill him and left his mark. I began to see what was happening. A prophecy." The headmaster glided back to his desk to pick up a broken Sneakoscope and twirl it in his aged hands. "I began to remember the readings I'd heard about from six other families. One of them received a prophecy that distinctly had the words, 'Scarred One' in it. I began my search."  
  
"The first fruit I gleaned was, predictably, the Winners, one of the wealthiest wizarding families in the Far East, rivalling even the Malfoys." Draco snorted and Dumbledore threw him a look. "Their son, Akbih Sudan Winner, was born. The Prophetess who read him received only these words. 'And with the help of the Scarred One...you can'. For some reason the first statement and the last few words were seperate, but it was obvious history was in the making."  
  
"Next to come forward were the Cassells. Their son David is a little over nine now. He was the last piece of the prophecy, I later found, his birth being dramatically later than all the others. The words that accompanied Lucia and Xander Cassell's boy were a bit more solid, but still made no sense. 'The Circle of Five...find.' Still a bunch of gibberish. But add it to the words that accompanied Catrina and Marlin Bloom's son Triton, a popular name with the Blooms, it made a bit more sense. The Prophet that read him said 'Will surround the darkness...the boys.' Now all I truly had was the beginning of a prophecy with some extra baggage on the side." Dumbledore paused, then pulled out his wand and waved it once. And old tea service with eight cups and four kettles appeared.  
  
"Tea?" he asked. Duo, Heero and Harry shook their heads. Quatre, Trowa, Wufei and Draco snatched a cup out of the air and held it out. Tea from the four different kettles filled their cups. Quatre tasted his first.  
  
"Earl Grey! How ever did you know?" he exclaimed, happily taking another sip. Dumbledore just looked at him, eyes twinkling. Draco announced that his was something called 'Untainted Black' and Trowa said he was drinking 'Spearmint and Cloverweed', something that sounded weird and strangely poisonous. Trowa proceeded to tell them that it was indeed poisonous, but that over the years he'd built up a resistance to it, so there was nothing to worry about. Harry calmy set down his 'Iced Mist' Tea, suddenly not thirsty anymore.  
  
"Go on, then," Draco said impatiently, actually interested in what the man he regularly referred to as 'that barmy old coot' had to say. "There's more, I'm sure of it."  
  
"Right you are, young Malfoy. The next piece brought to my attention was, ironically, from your father Lucius. The reading done on you was just as short as Harry's. All I got from you was 'Jaded One.' Makes no sense, right?" Dumbledore said. "But I later discovered, about a year ago, actually, that the name matched you perfectly."  
  
"But Malfoy doesn't have green eyes, and he certainly doesn't wear jade jewellery," Harry said. "It was pretty obvious I was the Scarred One, but all signs of him point to 'no.' You sure he hasn't got a brother or sister out there somewhere?"  
  
"Actually, I happen to have an older brother. My mother named him Sissiphus, after a Greek myth, and people at school or just on our street teased him mercilessly. They called him things like 'Sissy' and other highly degrating names. Eventually, he cracked," Draco said with an emotionlessness that rivalled Heero's. "Sissiphus went insane and killed everyone who ever taunted him, including some teachers. He is now in Azkaban, the Dementor's kiss already administered, for the murder of three teachers, forty eight students, and twelve civilians. Oh, and one baby that was mimicking his older brother."  
  
The gathered group stared at Draco, and Dumbledore looked on with eyes of intense sadness. He turned to the teens. "Now you see why Draco is considered jaded. It isn't a physical thing, but an emotional and spiritual aspect of him. His brother is in Azkaban, just turned thirty, and he has been treated badly by his father since before he could talk. He is constantly subjected to the Dark Arts, and is made regularly to watch someone, usually a Muggleborn, die." Dumbledore paused as he gazed unseeingly at the boys. "I believe it is safe to say that young Malfoy is sufficiently jaded."  
  
Murmurs of agreement rose up as Draco turned away. Just when he was about to shut everyone out, a hand fell on his shoulder. He whipped around, intent on saying something scornful to his assailant, when he met vivid blue-violet eyes. The other boys didn't notice the drama ensuing between the two.  
  
"You're not alone," Duo whispered fiercely. "And never think you are. My mother was raped before me when I was six, my best friend died before me when I was eight, and the orphanage I was staying at burned down around me when I was ten. And all these events I considered my fault. Why did that man have to attack my mother just because she'd lied to him about having a kid? Why didn't the medicine for the plague come sooner? Why didn't I run faster? Why couldn't I save all the orphans? How come the soldiers attacked the church after they promised they wouldn't?" Duo turned away for a moment, but made sure Draco knew he was still very much an active part of the conversation. "None of these questions were ever answered," he said. "And I doubt they ever will be. But I must go on."  
  
"H-How can you? All the horrible things that happened...why didn't you take your life?" Draco asked sadly. He already knew the answer, though. Maybe not why, but what.  
  
"I admit that I did try. Several times. But then I met Professor Gee and he gave me a purpose in life. Blow the suckers who destroyed my orphanage sky high, and any who are like them can go to hell. I became Shinigami, the self proclaimed God of Death. I vengefully took the lives of many a soldier in atonement for that one massacre. But it wasn't enough. Eventually, I decided that everything good I touch dies, and tried to off myself again." Duo laughed quietly and sardonically. "And I might have succeeded too, if it wasn't for Wufei and Trowa."  
  
"What do Barton and Chang have to do with this?" Draco asked, immediately falling back on last names to keep people from becoming too familiar to him.  
  
"The day I finally slit my wrist the right way, was the day I met them. They were pilots like me, just passing through the space port on their way to some solo missions. Luck would have it that I was kinda out of it and decided to off myself in the space port bathroom. Wu-man just happened to need to take a piss, and Trowa just happened by when he heard old Chinaboy yell," Duo said. "When he came into the restroom, Wuffie was screamin' bloody murder. Probably 'cuz my blood was all over the floor in little rivers, and he'd slipped in it. He was only fourteen at the time, and though a great fighter, he was still very impressionable."  
  
"So he found you on the floor and Barton heard him squeal and hurried to his aid?" Draco asked, trying to lighten the mood.  
  
Duo's lips twisted into a wry grin. "Yeah, somethin' like that. Wuffie's a strong man, but sometimes things can overwhelm you. Rivers of blood bein' one of 'em." Unconsciously, Duo slipped back into his old street talk. "Trowa came barrelin' in, guns totin', lookin' madder than hell. Then he saw me an' a blood covered Wufei. An' started whimperin' like there was no tomorrow. I had to smile at the sheer stupidness of the situation. I mean, ya slit yer wrists and yer dyin', two kids come in the room yer bleedin' all over, and their too squeemish to do shit. Ironic, ne?" Draco nodded just to keep the braided boy going.  
  
"Well, eventually Trowa got over the shock of so much damned blood, and helped pull Wu-bear away from me. Then he sat next to me and took off his jacket, then his shirt, barin' all that delicious muscle..." Duo trailed off as his eyes glazed over with the images his mind provided him. Draco had a surprised look on his face. Sure, you'd immediately take Duo for a homosexual, but Draco never took anything at face value. One: it was rude. Two: it usually wasn't true.  
  
"Maxwell? You in there, chap?" Draco said. Duo shook his head to clear it then grinned at Draco.  
  
"Sorry. Got a bit carried away. Anyways, Trowa rips up his shirt and starts wrappin' it around my wrists. Now I'm thinkin', 'This sure as hell ain't goin' as planned', so I kicked 'im in the leg and tried to get up. By then, Wuffie was feelin' a bit better, and helped Trowa hold me down and bind me. Soon, aside from losing of so much blood I'd be light headed until I was eighty, the blood stopped flowin' an' I was generally alright. 'Course, Tro and Wu weren't too happy to discover that I was a pilot dedicated to servin' the colonies, and I was in a spaceport bathroom commitin' suicide. They brought me to Prof. Gee-man, where I got my ass kicked for recklessness, then got themselves assigned as my partners forever. Well, until Heero came, that is," Duo said. "But that's another story."  
  
"Wow, and I thought life sucked arse. Now it sucks anything it can reach," Draco commented dryly.  
  
"An' life sure ain't good with its tongue," Duo added.  
  
"What the hell are you to talking about?" Heero demanded.  
  
"Nothing, sir!" Duo immediately answered, straightening and saluting to the stoic boy sharply. He lasted for about a minute, then dissolved into a fit of giggles. Heero sighed in annoyance and proceeded to ignore the braided boy. Duo pouted cutely for a moment, then turned back to Dumbledore. "You still haven't explained why you went to our exact time and got us. It couldn't have been by chance."  
  
"You are correct, Mr. Maxwell," Dumbledore began again, smiling softly at the boys. "The last pieces of the puzzle came together at the same time. One, the Changs, an arrogant wizarding family so uptight it seemed like each member had a permanent stick up their---ahem, anyway, their son Shaoran Chang was read, and a few words given to me to interpret. 'And the Jaded One...400 years.' Another fragment.  
  
"Now here comes the interesting part. The Lowes, half-family to the Potters- -." Here everyone looked at Heero and Harry, suddenly seeing the similarities in their appearances. Where before they saw nothing, the boys began to notice the dark hair, and the piercing eyes that sparkled with equally bright intensity. "--had a son, Kamui, and he had a son, Odin. Now young Odin - Who looks almost exactly like you, Heero- had these words with him after the reading. 'They will bring light back to the world...hence'. The last clue."  
  
"Oooh! I get it!" Quatre said excitedly. "Of course, the first part! 'The Circle of Five will surround the darkness, and with the help of the Jaded One and the Scarred One, they will bring light back into the world!'"  
  
"Correct, Mr.Winner," Dumbledore said, his eyes beginning to twinkle faster.  
  
"And the fragments! I get it also!" Wufei said with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "From what I have been able to gather, it goes so far, 'You can...find...the boys...400 years...hence.' You can find the boys 400 years hence!"  
  
"Right again. My, such bright boys!" Dumbledore said proudly.  
  
"So you went back in time and--" Duo began.  
  
"Searched for people matching the names and descriptions of the families involved with the prophecy. It wasn't hard finding your magical signatures. You all are pretty powerful wizards," the Headmaster said. "Now to the important part of this whole speech. In the prophecy, you time travelers are easily distinguished as the five. You know about Potter and Malfoy too. But it doesn't tell you why."  
  
"Why?" Draco asked.  
  
"Yes. Why they are needed here. Why we had to pluck them from their lives. Why they are found in a prophecy almost two decades old," Dumbledore said.  
  
"I know why," Harry interrupted quietly. Everyone in the room turned to him. "To fight Voldemort, of course. To oust the great Dark Lord of the wizarding world." Harry sighed bitterly. "It's always about him, isn't it? He always has to wreck someone's life. Even across time." Harry's eyes shimmered as if he was about to cry.  
  
"You are right, Harry, I am sad to say. Voldemort has once again meddled. Apparently, the prophecy about the heir of Gryffindor defeating the heir of Slytherin -and vice versa- is not entirely true. Seems Fate decided Harry needed a bit of help." Dumbledore looked around the room.  
  
"Us?" Trowa said. The Headmaster nodded.  
  
"So, now that you know what you are here for, I expect you all to be on your guard and learn all you can. The war between Darkness and Light is starting, and you are key players. I expect the best you can give." Dumbledore smiled. "Well, get to bed! It is after 9 pm. Past curfew, I believe."  
  
Nodding, each boy said goodbye to the Headmaster and headed out of the office, then to their common rooms. Duo and Draco headed to the dungeons, Harry and Heero to Gryffindor Tower on the 7th floor, Trowa and Quat went to Hufflepuff House, and Wufei to Ravenclaw. The boys promised to sit together at breakfast and discuss the problem.  
  
***  
  
"Draco?" asked Duo, as they descended to the Dungeons.  
  
"Hm?" the blond murmured, in deep thought.  
  
"Where am I gonna sleep?" Duo asked.  
  
"In the 6th year boys dorm, of course. Not many more are here, so there is room," Draco answered promptly.  
  
"Draco?"  
  
"Yes?" the blond Slytherin asked, slightly irritated.  
  
"You're a good friend, even if we've only just met. I'll enjoy saving the world with you," the braided boy joked, grinning. Draco smirked back, then whispered the password to the Slytherin common room.  
  
"So will I," he answered, sweeping past the other curious Slytherins. He turned down a hallway, then walked down a set of stairs, coming onto another hallway with three doors on each side. Each had a name plate. Draco pointed to the one with a D.M. on it. "This is your room. Mine has the same nameplate, but we are both intelligent enough not to confuse it. Goodnight, Maxwell."  
  
"G'night, Draco," Duo said, winking. He disappeared into the room and shut the door. Draco shook his head and smiled, then entered his own room. Both lights shut off a moment later.  
  
***  
  
Heero and Harry waved goodbye as Trowa and Quatre entered Hufflepuff House. Wufei had long since went to the Ravenclaw corridor, so they continued up until they reached the 7th floor and the portrait of the fat lady. She was still awake, and greeted Harry warmly.  
  
"And a good night to you also," Harry said cordially. He bowed to her then gestured to Heero. "This is Heero Yuy, a fellow Gryffindor."  
  
"Well, hello child," the portrait said. Heero just nodded once, and the fat lady frowned a bit. "Well, password then. Hurry up, now. Haven't got all night."  
  
Harry cringed at her dramatically changed mood. He expected it though, since Heero was being mean. "I believe it's mobilia mumbilitus or some such nonsense," he said uncertainly.  
  
"Actually, no. But I'll let you in until Dumbledore tells you the new one. Good night, young Potter," the fat lady rejoined, swinging open. Harry smiled and led Heero in. The Gryffindor common room was full, since it was only just past curfew. A warm fire roared in the fireplace, and curious Gryffindors on scarlet couches turned curiously to see Heero and Harry. Hermione, who had been sitting beside Ron a moment ago, dashed up to them.  
  
"Harry! Dumbledore made me go away and you didn't come back for two whole hours! What happened?! What'd he tell you?!" she shot off quickly. Heero looked a bit surprised, or as surprised as an emotionless shell could look, but Harry took it all in stride.  
  
"I'll tell you later, 'Mione. Right now there are too many people around. Draco, Trowa and the others will be discussing it at breakfast, so be down early and I'll tell you, okay?" he suggested.  
  
"Of course, Harry. I can wait until tomorrow," Hermione said brightly. "Well--"  
  
"Why were you sitting with that redheaded boy?" Heero asked in his usual monotone. Hermione and Harry immediately stopped talking. Heero talked so rarely you had to freeze time just to hear him.  
  
"You mean Ron? Well, even though he was being a total arse at the Welcoming Feast, he's still one of my best friends. I'm trying to get him to be nice to Heero and Duo," she answered. "He believes Heero is scum for being friends with Duo, and that Duo is scum just because he's a Slytherin. He also thinks that Trowa, Quatre and Wufei aren't worth his time. It's the principle of the thing, he says."  
  
"Principle of what thing? Yeah, we were specially selected to go to Hogsmeade, and yeah, we all went to see Dumbledore, but that doesn't mean that we are all of a sudden Junior Death Eaters or something," Harry said.  
  
"Death Eaters?" Heero said.  
  
"Later, Heero. If we want to have any energy tomorrow, we need to get some sleep," Harry said.  
  
"Oh, I get it. Diagon Alley, right?" Hermione said.  
  
"Right," Harry said, smiling. He turned back to Heero. "Let's go." Harry led Heero up to the 6th years boys dorms and to the bed directly across from his. "Sweet dreams, Yuy."  
  
"Hn," Heero answered. Both boys slipped into their beds after changing quickly, then drifted off to sleep.  
  
***  
  
"Do you think everything will be alright, Trowa? I felt a great sadness from Duo and Draco," Quatre said softly, snuggling into the arms of his lover.  
  
"I could see it with my eyes. I already know that Duo is in love with Heero, but we don't know Draco very well," Trowa answered. "Don't worry, little one. We'll get to know him better, then we'll know what is bothering him."  
  
"I know, Trowa," Quatre sighed. "Let's get some sleep, love. I suspect we have a big day tomorrow."  
  
"This Diagon Alley you keep telling me about?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Yes. Goodnight, love."  
  
"Goodnight, little one."  
  
***  
  
"They are gathered, my Lord."  
  
"Good. Now all we have to do is get the Five."  
  
"Easier said than done, my Lord. We received information from our informant that the Five arrived with Muggle weapons."  
  
"What is Muggle weapons to magic? We will still prevail."  
  
"But my Lord, the Five are also wizards."  
  
"What?! They can't be! It isn't in the prophecy!"  
  
"Much isn't in the prophecy, Your Evilness. I've suspected that you haven't received the right prophecy for some time."  
  
"And you haven't told me yet?"  
  
"N-no, my Lord. I didn't want to anger you. I still might be wrong, you know."  
  
"No, I don't know. And you have already angered me. Dare I teach you a lesson?"  
  
"P-please, my Lord?! I didn't kn--"  
  
"Crucio!"  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	8. To Diagon Alley

Part Seven: To Diagon Alley  
  
The Great Hall was lit up like a candle from the enchanted ceiling, the suns rays filling the entire room. Teenagers lounged at their House tables, bagels and other breakfast foods halfway to their mouths. The Headmaster, Snape and Professor McGonagall were the only teachers at the Head table. Snape had a sour look on his face, and was watching McGonagall as if she were the worst thing since swiss cheese (I hate that stuff). Dumbledore was watching Snape with a bemused smile and his eyes twinkled gayly. He was pretty relaxed for someone who had told seven boys they were fated to save the world the night before.  
  
Gryffindor's Golden Boy, the famous Harry Potter, and the new student Heero Yuy walked into the Great Hall early, Hermione Granger directly behind them. Ron Weasley, a familiar part of the Gryffindor Trio, was noticably missing. Harry led his friends to an empty section of the Gryffindor table and sat down, Heero on his left, Hermione on his right. Before they could start eating, Gryffindor 5th year Ginny Weasley rushed into the Hall and slipped into the seat directly infront of Harry. She grinned at the Boy Who Lived and began buttering a piece of toast. Harry smiled back tightly. He suspected that Ginny still liked him, even after her Michael Corner stint.  
  
Heero ignored the new comer and began to gather eggs, bacon and toast onto his plate sparingly, then started to eat it mechanically and efficiently, one section at a time. Hermione stared for a moment, then also began to eat. Harry followed soon after, only interrupted by the arrival of Ron and Seamus Finnigan. The two Gryffindor's came in and sat near the others. Seamus shoved a rolled up pancake into his mouth, and heartily began eating eveything else at top speed, but Ron stood up again and approached Harry.  
  
"Harry?" Ron said softly. "Harry, I'm sorry I didn't wait for you to answer me last night."  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, finally turning to look at his supposed friend.  
  
Ron smiled indulgently. "I apologize for not giving you time to explain yourself. I know you wouldn't have anything to do with a Malfoy. You either, Hermione," he said.  
  
Hermione and Harry looked a bit surprised, then resigned. "Ron, you're being pigheaded again. Honestly, must you--" Hermione was interrupted by Trowa and Quatre's entrance into the Great Hall, followed by Wufei. They approached the Gryffindor table and saluted Heero, then sat down, Trowa and Quatre on the left of Ginny, and Wufei on her right.  
  
"03 reporting," Trowa said.  
  
"04 reporting." "05 reporting."  
  
"Let's hear it," Heero said.  
  
"Hufflepuff House is very...muted. No loud colors or loud people. The Hufflepuffs are very subdued but friendly," Quatre said. Trowa just nodded, having the same to report. Quatre decided it would be prudent not to mention Relina Pemberton-Dorci.  
  
"Ravenclaw is very quiet. Not many say much because they are all studying something or other," Wufei said. Heero nodded, contemplating. Finally, he looked up.  
  
"I need blue prints of each common room and dorm. Make five copies so everyone can have one. I'll make one and give it to you. When Duo arrives, inform him of the new developments," Heero said.  
  
"Sir!" the three answered. Trowa and Quatre relaxed against each other, and Wufei began picking curiously at a plate of roasted apples, something he'd never seen before. Previously ignored, Ron spoke again.  
  
"Look, Harry, I know I said I'd give you a chance and all, but all these people are friends of that boy, and--" Ron was interrupted by three people entering the Great Hall. Draco Malfoy, Duo Maxwell, and Blaise Zabini waltzed in, Draco and Blaise looking as elegant as ever, and Duo grinning like it was Christmas.  
  
"Morning, all," Draco drawled, gliding elegantly toward the Gryffindor House table. Blaise just nodded to everyone but Ron, and Duo ran up to Heero and threw his arms around him. Draco and Blaise slid into seats beside Hermione.  
  
"Mornin', Hee-chan!" he cried happily, giving Heero a big kiss on the cheek. "How's my little soldier doin'?" Heero grimaced as Duo began cooing loudly into his ear. Finally, he snapped and pushed the braided boy away.  
  
"New mission information, Duo. Go see Wufei about it and leave me alone," he said monotonously. Duo pouted cutely, but obeyed, slipping into the seat beside Wufei to talk. Everyone at the table settled back into their routines, completely forgetting poor Ron again.  
  
"That's IT!" the redhead exploded, throwing his hands in the air and drawing the stares of most of the Great Hall. "I've tried to be patient, Harry, but every time I try to forgive you, these people--" Here he pointed at Duo, Heero and the others. "--interrupt me. And to top all that, Malfoy is sitting at the Gryffindor table. Last chance, Harry. What in the hell is going on!?"  
  
Harry stopped eating his toast and turned in his seat to look at the agitated Weasley, a cold look in his usually sparkling green eyes. "You want to know what's going on, Ron?" he said. Ron nodded. "You really want to know?" The redhead nodded again, this time warily. "Well, I'll tell you. I am friends with Draco Malfoy now. We got to know each other a bit better yesterday, and he's not as much of a prat as he was before. Besides that, Hermione became firm friends with him over the summer, and knows him better than any of us ever will. I think her opinion is worth something." Harry pinned Ron with a hard glare and continued.  
  
"And Heero here is a fellow Gryffindor. He's brave, like us. Courageous, like us. And unbaised, like you used to be. He is friends with Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei, making them subsequently my friends. And yes, Duo is a Slytherin, just like the dreaded Draco Malfoy," he said. "Blaise is okay, and even if we don't quite trust him, Draco does. So I believe it's time you got off your self righteous high horse and apologize to all of us properly, or I might just give Draco free reign to do what's necessary to keep you in line. Comprende?"  
  
Ron stared at Harry as if he'd lost all sanity. Hermione took it the wrong way, resulting in adding her own jab. "It's Spanish, Ronnikins. It means 'do you understand'," she said, smirking. "And another thing. Draco, Duo and the guys are wonderful people. You mess with them, you mess with me."  
  
Absolute quiet settled over the Hall, then the redhead exploded for a second time. "What the HELL is WRONG with you people?!!! First you tell me you're friends with Malfoy, then you tell me you're friends with the long haired nancy boy too. Now you're telling me that Hermione's a sellout? I thought I meant more to you than that, 'Mione!" he yelled. "I don't know WHAT kind of immoral things you were doing with Malfoy over the summer, but I thought you knew better than th--" Ron was cut off by a strong hand clamped tightly around his throat, effectively cutting off his air supply. His wide blue eyes bulged as he gasped for oxygen. Heero was on his feet, his hand clamped around Ron's neck.  
  
"What did you call Duo?" he asked softly and quietly, not moving any muscles but the ones on his face, and the ones in the hand clamped around the rude redhead's neck.  
  
Defiantly, Ron's blue eyes blazed. "A long haired nancy boy," he wheezed proudly, even with his limited oxygen. Heero's dark eyes flashed as he stared at the redhead in astonishment. Several of the table's occupants gasped at the redhead's audacity.  
  
"Be careful, Ron," Hermione said, betraying how much she still cared for the thick headed boy. "You don't know who you're messing with. He's a soldier."  
  
"Pah! A soldier? Him? He's just a sixteen year old boy in denial," Ron taunted, gratified by the startled look in the Japanese boy's eyes. "What, you didn't think I noticed the little looks you sent that girly boy since last night? You're in love, Yuy, and it's disgusting!"  
  
Hermione gasped again, this time along with Ginny, Draco and most of the others. Surprisingly, Draco was the one who stepped forward. "Love is love, Weasel. Don't ever cheapen it with you're petty insecurities and closemindedness. Some of us don't mind liking persons of the same sex."  
  
"A nancy boy too, Malfoy?" Ron snarled, grinning cruelly. "How terribly fitting."  
  
Draco and Heero snapped at the exact same moment. Heero threw Ron away from him so that he slammed into the Hufflepuff table, causing several of them to move away in fright. Draco stepped forward, a dangerous look in his eyes, and whipped out his wand.  
  
"Ready to accept your punishment, Weasel?" he asked, raising the carved wood to directly before Ron's eyes. "Let's cover you with the dirt you are. Humare!" Suddenly, piles of rich, worm filled dirt appear over Ron's head and began to drop onto him, clinging to his robes and hair.  
  
Ginny stepped forward and pulled out her own thin wand. She smiled grimly at her older brother. "Let's add a bit of water, hm?" she said softly. "Cataracta!" A gush of murky sewer water rushed onto the dirty Ron, turning him into a pile of foul mud. The Weasley sputtered in indignation and embarassment, wiping mud from his smoldering eyes. The famous Weasley temper was in evidence.  
  
"Let me do the last one," came Harry's smooth, tightly controlled voice. He moved to the front of the group, pulling out his pheonix feather cored wand. He aimed squarely at Ron's lower areas. "Lightning spell okay?" he asked. Ron 'eep'ed and everyone else laughed.  
  
"No, Harry. It's okay," said Quatre, Trowa close behind. "Let the poor boy go."  
  
"Quatre, this is no time for compassion--" Wufei began angrily.  
  
The petit blond spun on him. "Do you think I'm being compassionate?" he asked, laughing sardonically. "No. I just believe that leaving him to Duo and Heero would be better. A bonding experience, in a way."  
  
"Yeah, leave 'im to us," Duo said coldly, standing and moving beside Heero. They both smirked evilly, rivaling even the famous Malfoy expression of contempt and malevolence.  
  
Suddenly, a scolding voice interrupted the little show. "I'm afraid Mr.Weasley will not be left to anyone," said the familiar voice of Dumbledore.  
  
"Damn," muttered Snape, who stood a few feet behind the headmaster.  
  
"Don't you have Time Tables to pass out, Severus?" Dumbledore asked pointedly. The greasy haired Potions Master 'harrumph'ed but turned away and began handing the Slytherins their class schedules. Dumbledore focused all his attention on the group of teens before him. He pointed his wand at Ron. "Scourgify!" he said, waving the carved wood at the muddy boy. Ron was instantly cleaner, but still had several dirty smudges on his face and robes.  
  
"Thank you, Professor," the youngest Weasley boy said, pushing himself unsteadily to his feet.  
  
"Don't thank me, Mr.Weasley. Thank Ms.Susan Bones for informing me of the situation. If she had not, you, Mr.Yuy and Mr.Maxwell might have done something irrational, and I'd be giving them two weeks detention with Filch along with you," the headmaster said. Ron sighed in relief. "Luckily, I only have to give you the detentions. Isn't that nice?"  
  
"Smashing, sir," Ron murmured, his mind suddenly taking a holiday.  
  
"I believe spending the rest of the day in Gryffindor Tower sounds quite good. Don't you agree, Mr.Weasley?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes, quite," Ron said mechanically. He stood and jerkily made his way out of the Great Hall.  
  
"What did you do to him, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.  
  
"An advanced form of premature mind control. Another skill I acquired in my old age," said Dumbledore. At the looks on his students' faces, he smiled. "It is perfectly legal, I assure you." With the headmaster's assurance, the group of teens relaxed. "Now, to the reason I've approached you. I believe today would be the ideal time to go to Diagon Alley for school supplies."  
  
"Yes! I knew it! May I go, Professor?" Hermione piped up quickly. Dumbledore didn't even look slightly surprised.  
  
"Of course, Ms.Granger. In truth, I had planned for five of my students from yesterday to escort each of the foreign exchange students. Mitchell Pemberton will not be going, since he arrived from Beauxbatons and already has his school things," Dumbledore informed them. "I will allow you to choose who you wish to escort you, and Severus will accompany you to the Alley as adult supervision. Is this understood?"  
  
"Of course, Professor. We'll be fine," said Harry.  
  
"Good. I'll leave you to yourselves now. Check in with Severus when you are ready to go," Dumbledore replied. He smiled at his students and glided away.  
  
"So, who do you wanna go with?" Harry asked immediately, turning to Hermione.  
  
"If I could, I'd like to go with Draco. I haven't gotten a chance to talk to him face to face much since we became friends," she said, grinning at the blond Slytherin.  
  
"We can talk later, Hermione," Draco said. "I've got plans."  
  
Hermione looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. I guess I'll go with Wufei, then. I believe he will enjoy exploring Flourish and Blotts."  
  
"Good. I will accompany Yuy. It seems we need to have a discussion," Draco said. "Agreed, Yuy?"  
  
"Hn," Heero said, but nodded his head anyway.  
  
"I would like to go with Miss Virginia Weasley," said Quatre. Though slightly displeased (she wanted to go with Harry), Ginny nodded and smiled at the small blond.  
  
"Guess I'll go with Blaise," Trowa said. The dark haired Slytherin nodded cooly.  
  
"Well, it's me and you Harry Potter," Duo said happily. "We'll have ever so much fun!"  
  
"Uh, sure," Harry said, throwing an unsure look to Hermione. The bushy haired girl just grinned and mouthed 'Don't worry.'  
  
"We better get Snape. The sooner we're gone the sooner we're back," said Ginny. The others nodded, and all of them moved toward the Potions professor.  
  
"Professor?" Draco said, being the only one aside from Blaise brave enough to willingly speak to the professor.  
  
"Yes, Mr.Malfoy?" he said, turning and allowing a sardonic smirk to slip onto his sallow face.  
  
"Potter and the others are ready to be taken to Diagon Alley," Draco answered. Snape just nodded once and swept out of the Great Hall. Draco glided after him, the others hurrying behind. Outside of the Great Hall, Snape moved through the Entrance Hall to the Staff Room. Once inside, he headed for the fireplace and grabbed a pouch of some dust from the mantle.  
  
"Floo Powder. Who's first," he snapped, as the other teens filed into the room.  
  
Heero and Duo stepped forward. "We are!" Duo said excitedly. Without further ado, he shoved one eager hand into the pouch and pulled out a hand full of green dust. Flinging it into the flames, which flared green, he stepped into them, pulling Heero with him. "Diagon Alley!" he yelled clearly, and promptly disappeared.  
  
"Next," Snape said coldly, studying the pale face of one of the exchange students. "How about you?" he said to the small blond, smirking satisfactorily as the pale boy began to tremble. "It's quite easy. Just throw the dust into the fire and say your destination clearly."  
  
"A-alright," Quatre said, stepping forward. A warm hand grabbed onto his, and the petit blond looked up into the loving green eyes of his boyfriend. "Thanks Trowa. Ready?"  
  
Trowa nodded. He allowed Quatre to grab some dust and throw it into the fireplace, then dragged his boyfriend into the green flames and said," Diagon Alley!" The last that was seen of them was a swirling green scarf.  
  
Wufei and Hermione stepped forward immediately, and disappeared not a moment later, going through the Floo process quickly and efficiently. Blaise and Ginny followed, the Weasley redhead's face rivalling her hair since she had to wrap an arm around the dark haired Slytherin's waist.  
  
Snape, Harry and Draco looked at each other all at the same time, absolute silence reighning at the moment. Predictably, Harry broke it. "Guess it's me and you, Malfoy," he said, then blushed lightly and looked down. Draco shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, uncharacteristically shy. Finally, the Slytherin Ice Prince grabbed a bit of Floo Powder and threw it into the fire. When it flared green, he grabbed Harry's hand tightly. "Ready, Potter?" he asked, a new challenge in his voice.  
  
"Always," Harry said, grinning. They disappeared in a flash of green flame as Snape rolled his eyes.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Harry and Draco tumbled out of the fireplace located in the Leaky Cauldron, landing on the still tipped over Blaise and Ginny. The dark haired Slytherin was trying to shake the Weasley girl off his sleeve, where she clung in surprise and fright.  
  
"It's just a bloody rat, for Merlin's sake! A rat, I say. You've seen them! Your ponce of a brother has one!" Blaise cried, swatting at the girl with more energy as she clung tighter. Ginny continued to shriek as the rat, which was small, with white fur and red eyes, scurried past. She finally relaxed her hold on Blaise, turning to see Harry and Draco dusting themselves off. She blushed bright red and scuttled behind Hermione.  
  
"I say!" Blaise continued, as he examined his ragged and abused robe sleeve. "This was a pure Egyptian velvet robe, and she ruined it! I'd sue if I had any chance of getting more than a half-eaten bar of chocolate and a worn throw rug." Completely ignoring the glares thrown at him by Harry and Hermione, Blaise shook his robe sleeve once more, then sighed. "Guess I'll be visiting Madam Malkin's again. I'd rather it be Gladrags, but what can you do?" he said, shrugging.  
  
Draco stepped in. "What in Salazar's name possessed you to wear pure Egyptian velvet on an outing to Diagon Alley?" he asked.  
  
"I wasn't planning a trip out into the common world this morning, Draco. First day of school and Hogwarts was my playground," Blaise said. "That barmy old coot once again ruined my plans, so here I am, in velvet, in a common pub."  
  
"First off, Dumbledore might be barmy, but that just adds to his genius," Hermione said.  
  
"And second," Draco drawled. "Father and I stayed here plenty of times, with good service and decent meals."  
  
"Glad you liked it, Master Malfoy," said a cheery voice. "This yours?" Everyone turned to see Tom, the proprietor, holding up a slightly singed and sooty Snape, a hip flask engraved with an elaborate 'S' clutched in the professor's hand. Snape was mumbling something about innuedo and the need to sleep. Then, Snape promptly passed out. "What should I do with him? He's pissed beyond anything," Tom said.  
  
"Got a free room?" Duo asked. Tom nodded. "Drop the stiff in there and take care of him. We'll be back to pay for your help."  
  
"Of course, Mr...." Tom began.  
  
"Maxwell. Duo Maxwell. I run, I hide, I do every--" Duo was cut off by Heero's hand clamped over his mouth. He immediately licked the hand, startling the perfect soldier into letting go. "Seems we gotta go. Caio." And Duo led the other teens to the back of the establishment where they met a brick wall.  
  
"Great. A dead end," Wufei said, annoyed.  
  
"Wait. I know this one," Draco said, moving to the front of the group. He pulled out his wand and tapped a series of bricks on the wall. The wall shimmered as he put his wand away, then morphed into an archway. And the Gundam pilots got their first glimpse of Diagon Alley.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	9. At Diagon Alley

Part Eight: At Diagon Alley  
  
The boys gaped in awe at the golden streets (they weren't really golden. Just their overactive, awestruck imaginations), and the sparkling storefronts (again their imaginations), and the beautiful and interesting inhabitants (do I really need to tell you?). The first to break from their stupor was, predictably, Ginny (who wasn't even awestruck to begin with. She was just tired of watching everyone stare. (What was this, a manga?). Ginny moved into the deceptively non-golden streets and toward a surprising non-sparkling storefront. It read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands Since 382 B.C. A faded plush pillow with an even older looking brown stick sat in the display window.  
  
A moment later, Wufei shook himself out of the stupor he would never admit was awe-induced, and asked the question on all the clear minds at the moment. "What now?"  
  
Before Harry or any of the others could say anything, Duo's happy voice jumped in.  
  
"I want a wand," he said, turning to grin at the gathered teenagers.  
  
Harry looked indecisive, then firm. "Shouldn't we go get our school books first? We can place our order and come back for them later?" he said.  
  
"That would be the best thing to do first," Hermione seconded.  
  
"I want a wand," Duo argued.  
  
"Duo, we have more important things to do than--" Heero began. He was surprised when Duo interrupted him with a loud whine.  
  
"I want a wand!" he said, stomping his foot angrily. All gathered would have thought it was cute if Duo hadn't been annoying them.  
  
"Duo, please--" Quatre started.  
  
"I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE! I WANT ONE!!!!" Duo cried loudly, drawing the attention of a few passerbys and a man entering the Leaky Cauldron. Trowa, ever the brave lion tamer (completely forgetting that Duo was a snake now) stepped forward, hands raised before him.  
  
"We'll go get your wand Duo," he began, almost smiling when Duo immediately calmed down. "...after--"  
  
"NO! I WANT MY WAND NOW!!!" Duo said forcefully, waving a fist for good measure. There was a collective frustrated sigh, then everyone just nodded. Their new spokesperson, Heero, stepped forward.  
  
"Fine," he said. "Let's get your wand." He looked Duo straight in the eye. "But you will pay for this display later." Duo actually switched from angry to wary in two seconds flat, then straight on to pleading and cute.  
  
"I'm sowwy, Heewo. Pwease fowgive me?" he asked in an absolutely adorably irrefusable voice. Heero, the Perfect Soldier, Pilot of Gundam Wing Zero, looked Duo straight in the eye, adorable face and all, and said...  
  
***THE END***  
  
(J/K) ^_^  
  
"No." He turned away and headed in the direction he had seen Ginny go. "Now stop acting childish long enough to acquire supplies for the mission." Stunned, Duo watched as all the other teens trailed off in twos and threes after Heero. Soon he was deserted aside from his partner for the day, Harry.  
  
"This happen alot?" he asked, eyeing the braided boy through his peripheral vision.  
  
"Yeah," said Duo, sighing. "And I have yet to get my way." Harry laughed, and Duo soon joined in. They started down the ungolden road, heading for Ollivander's Wands.  
  
***  
  
(Little break to type up the important stuff.)  
  
Hogwarts School  
of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
UNIFORM Sixth Years Will Require: 1. Three sets of plain work robes (black) 2. Two plain pointed hats (black) for day wear 3. One pair of protective gloves (dragonhide or similar) 4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings) 5. One animal handling robe (dragonhide or similar) 6. One loose fitting tunic (black) for trips into the forest 7. One vest (brown, dragonhide or similar) 8. One pair of loose breeches or skirt (black) 9. One pair of lace-up boots (dragonhide or similar)  
  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.  
  
OTHER EQUIPMENT 1 wand 1 wand polish 1 cauldron, (silver, standard size 6) 1 set glass or crystal phials 1 telescope 1 set of silver scales 1 set of dress robes (house colors required) 1 Advanced Potions Kit  
  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad OR a rat. Special permission required from a certified wizard awarded atleast an Order of Merlin: Second Class for a pheonix OR a baby dragon (no full grown) OR a falcon/eagle OR any other mythical creature that isn't an immediate danger to Hogwarts and its inhabitants. Please, no dogs.  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED A BROOMSTICK OWLED TO THEM IN THE EVENT THAT THEY ARE SELECTED FOR THEIR HOUSE QUIDDITCH TEAM. PREFERABLY A: Firebolt Nimbus Lightning prototype Cumulonimbus Rocket Sonic Static or Windseeker Edition  
  
COURSE BOOKS (DEPENDING ON SELECTED CLASSES) All students should have a copy of each of the following: The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 6) by Miranda Goshawk A History of Magic (Special and Updated Version 5) by Bathilda Bagshot Advanced Magic Theory* by Adalbert Waffling A Guide To Transfiguration Used By People With Five Years Of Subjection to Transfiguration Classes Under Their Belt by Emeric Switch Jr. One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi Plus A Bit More by Phyllida Spore Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger Fantastic Beasts Amd Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection Volume 6 by Quentin Trimble Potions, Pickles and Eye of Newt (N.E.W.T. level Potions) by Dodley Mixer Unfogging the Future* by Cassandra Vablatsky Charmed, I'm Sure by Happigo Lukey Dragons, And Other Fire-Breathing Ravenous Beasts* by Cruella Psiko Constant Vigilance* (Recently Released) by Mad-Eye Moody Looking to the Stars* by Vacante Gazirus The Magic Before Magic (Beginner's Alchemy)* by Paracelsus  
  
* indicate optional class  
  
(Okay, I'm done.)  
  
The group of teens entered the musty and shadowed interior of Ollivanders Wand Shoppe. Harry, Duo and Hermione moved to the front, while the others melted from sight, into various dusty corners and near shadowy walls.  
  
" Ah, Harry Potter. Holly, eleven inches, pheonix feather core. I never forget a wand. No need to hide, my friends. I've been expecting you," said a voice suddenly. All of them, even Heero, jumped slightly as an old man slipped from a shadow they hadn't occupied and stood before them. "I am Ollivander. A pleasure to meet you."  
  
Predictably, Quatre stepped forward and bowed intricately since Ollivander offered no hand to shake. "The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Ollivander. I am-- "  
  
"--a Winner, for sure. That blond hair, those blue eyes, the aura that just screams empathy," Ollivander interrupted. Suddenly he looked very excited and rushed to the back of the store to rummage through some dusty boxes. He cheered softly when he found his prize and returned to the front of the store. "I could feel which wand was yours from the moment I laid eyes on you, Winner. Cherrywood, seven and a half inches, slightly whippy, unicorn horn piece core." He removed the nicely carved, red tinged stick from the thin, dusty box it came in and handed it to Quatre. "Well, go on. Give it a wave."  
  
Quatre stared at the stick in his hand, a warm, tingling feeling inching up his arm in a comforting way. Without thinking, Quatre knew what the wand wanted. To be free. And it told him how. "Reveal to me your true form. Revelius!" When he said the words, a blue-tinted mist flowed from the wand and pooled at Quatre's feet. After a few moments the mist solidified, then cleared, revealing...the cute fairy from Quatre's letter. She stood, her short blonde hair and big blue eyes glittering. They could just barely see a set of shimmering wings sprouting from her teal blue tunic. She curtsied deeply.  
  
"Good morning, my Master. How may I serve you today?" she asked in a high, squeaky, incredibly expected voice. Quatre smiled.  
  
"You could tell me your name, then come perch on my shoulders," Quatre said. The fairy woman nodded and bowed, then flew up to Quatre's shoulder as she talked. They learned her name was Alecea Greenleaf, a fairy chosen to leave Middle Earth (not the Lord of the Rings one) so that she could bond with a wizard.  
  
"Very nice to meet you, Alecea," Quatre said respectfully. Alecea just nodded her little head. Quatre grinned, closely followed by a now hyper Duo.  
  
"My turn! My turn!" he cried, hopping up and down excitedly.  
  
Ollivander smiled apologetically at Duo. "I'm sorry, young Cassell, but the wands tell me that Bloom is next. Please wait patiently," he explained. He turned to Trowa. "Another Bloom. Those people have children like they have money, I'm afraid. Hold out your wand arm, boy." Trowa obeyed, and an enchanted tape measure started measuring the unibanged boy by itself.  
  
"Hm," Ollivander murmured. He stared at Trowa a good minute before he went in the back and returned with a fairly new wand. "Give this a wave. Hazelwood, ten inches, sturdy, lacewing core." Trowa took the wand and waved it. A gout of flame erupted from it and went straight for Blaise.  
  
"Shite!" the Slytherin cried, tumbling to the side. Ollivander looked mildly embarassed.  
  
"Oh my, not that one. No, no, no. Definitely not." He replaced the wand in the box and scurried off again. He returned with a slightly older box. He removed a short brown wand. "Pine, six inches, flaky. Bat claw core. Give it a wave." Trowa did. Nothing happened. It was out of his hand in a flash. "Oh, this will not do. Not at all." Over the next hour and a half Trowa tried wand after wand until there was a pile of boxes and what they now called 'Trowa's Kindle wood' on the counter. Finally, a dusty Ollivander came out bearing a shiny green box. It had entricate leaves scrawled all over it.  
  
"Just came in from my brother yesterday. Yew, thirteen inches, smooth, elf dust core. Was made for the King of the Forest actually, but what can I say, the wand choses the wizard." The babbling man handed the wand to Trowa, who, after so many tries, knew exactly what to do. With a swish and a flick, sparks emitted from the wand. Ollivander leaned forward to take it when a dense cloud flowed slowly out of the wand. After the cloud was fully formed, it grew darker and began to rain mistily. The mist thickened until it formed a shape. The shape stretched it's graceful neck before it let out a silent cry. The mist solidified to the point where the boys could see what it was. It was a gryphon. A large, ferocious animal with the head of a bird and the body of a lion, and two massive feathered wings. The cousin to the hippogriff and the griffin of myth.  
  
"Wow," Duo breathed.  
  
"Lord Akllyniley will not like this. Not at all," Ollivander muttered. He went on about something involving making a new wand or sacrificing a small child, then straightened.  
  
The gryphon gave a keening cry, then turned to Trowa and cried again.  
  
~Hello, Master. I am Kiaarah, daughter of Linaara of the Gryphons. I am now your familiar. I will serve you until the end of your days, and die when you take your last breath. Have you no words for me?~  
  
"Hello, Kiaarah," Trowa said softly, his green eye glowing. The other pilots and their escorts stared in awe as the gryphon bowed low.  
  
~I am yours to command, Master~  
  
"I don't feel like I'm the master of anyone, Kiaarah. But I do wish something of you," Trowa said. Kiaarah let out another keening cry.  
  
~Anything, Master.~  
  
"Is there a way to make yourself smaller so you may curl around my neck?" Kiaarah bowed. "Do so." Before their eyes, the rather large gryphon shrunk to the size of a house cat, folded her wings to her back and leaped gracefully to Trowa's shoulders, where she curled up and closed her eyes. After the gryphon went to sleep, the others stared openly at Trowa. Trowa stared calmly back. Shrugging, Duo stepped forward.  
  
"Now?" he pleaded.  
  
"After that young warrior over there," Ollivander said, pointing to a scowling Wufei. When the Chinese Boy stepped forward, Ollivander handed him three wands. "Give them a wave," he said. He was obviously tired from the whole Trowa thing. Wufei lifted a long black one and waved it. Nothing. He tried a short brown one. The pile of wand boxes was now burning merrily. He raised the last one, a medium sized dull red wand. Swish and flick. Nothing. Ollivander sighed. "Oh well," he began, reaching for the wands. He managed to grab the black and brown one before the red wand emitted a slightly squeaky roar. Suddenly, a ball of flame shot from the wand and flitted around the room. Blaise was wailing like a pansy in the corner of the shop while the ball of flame wandered aimlessly. Finally, it came to an abrupt stop right in front of Wufei and immediately went out. Under the flames was the form of a deep red lizard vaguely reminiscent of a dragon, with a similar structure aside from the poison tipped tail and the hands that were attached to the wings much like a flying dinosaur. The deep red scales gleamed as the animal circled Wufei once before landing at the boy's feet.  
  
"Redwood, eight and one half inches, stiff, dragon heartstring core," Ollivander mumbled. "Interesting."  
  
"A firedrake," Quatre breathed, fascinated.  
  
"What, Q?" Duo asked.  
  
Quatre looked up to address all of them. "Alecea says that it is called a firedrake, the children of the lesser dragons of this time. Their tails contain poison barbs much like the armless wyvern, but aside from that, firedrakes are, for all intents and purposes, mini dragons," he said. "She also says that the firedrake claims his name is Akha-banakh, but we may call him Akha of Akaba."  
  
"Noble Akha-banakh," Wufei whispered. "I will call you nothing else."  
  
^Please, Master. Call me Akha^ the firedrake said in Chinese. Wufei nodded and bowed.  
  
^Alright, Akha.^ The firedrake gave Wufei a little dragon grin, then turned his attention to the scene unfolding between Ollivander and Duo.  
  
"Yes, this is your wand. I am sure of it. Give it a wave so we can see what monstrousity emits from yours. Ebony oak, six inches, sturdy, demon claw core," Ollivander was saying. Duo obeyed and his familiar appeared in a flash of dark light. The room grew slightly colder. It was the little guy from the grey box. Swirling blue eyes, smirk, leathery wings sprouting from back. It was somewhat like Alecea. "A dark pixie! Merlin save me, who are you people?" Ollivander said. "Next you'll have a Kappa in my shop!" And whaddya know, they did.  
  
***  
  
"Did you see Ollivander's face when you waved your wand (sakura, nine inches, whippy, unicorn hair core) and a blue kappa popped out!" Duo cried, laughing loudly as they strolled through Diagon Alley. Heero allowed himself a small smile. His kappa (a creature about the size of a ten year old child, with scaly skin and a goblin-like face, native to Japan), Kokatsu, was as devilish as they come. He had spoken right after he was released, something in Japanese, and Ollivander had turned bright pink. Laughing uproarously, Kokatsu then disappeared from view.  
  
"Where's Kokatsu now?" Harry asked, intrigued by the foreign students interesting familiars. A stream of jibberish the pilots vaguely dstinguished as Japanese emitted from Heero's hair.  
  
"Kokatsu is in my hair, shrunken down as to not attract too much attention. He says he knows that the sight of him could cause mass panic. Also, he says to call him Ko," Heero said.  
  
"I caught that much," Duo said. "My Japanese is a bit rusty." The others shrugged and they continued on their way.  
  
"I think we should split up now," Quatre suggested. "Ten teens wandering around Diagon Alley together is like 30 in Central Park."  
  
"Central Park?" Ginny said.  
  
"Muggle place. Don't mind it," Quatre said quickly. "Let's just get with our partners and go our seperate ways." Quatre stepped forward and planted a big kiss on Trowa's cheek before moving to stand next to Ginny. Duo slung and arm around Harry's shoulders and Heero stood stiffly next to Draco. Hermione and Wufei stood calmly to the side, and Trowa and Blaise were eyeing each other suspiciously.  
  
"Ready," the pilots said simultaneously.  
  
"Wufei and I will head to Flourish and Blotts to place the book orders. We'll leave your names at the counters so you can retrieve and pay for yours. It's 12:00pm now, so let's meet at 1:00pm at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour," Hermione said.  
  
"Alright. Me and Harry will go to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and place the robe orders. All you'll have to do is stop by to get fitted, then stop by again to pick up the order. Sound good?" Duo said. Everyone nodded. "I'll need the fabric or robe types." The other four pilots handed over a slip of paper. Duo grinned.  
  
"Yuy and I will head to the Apothecary and collect your Potions ingredients," Draco said. "Alright with you, Yuy?"  
  
"Hn," Heero grunted.  
  
"I guess Quatre and I will go to the Cauldron Shoppe," Ginny said.  
  
"That leaves collecting an owl for the five of us to use to Trowa and Zabini," Wufei said.  
  
"I guess Blaise will be showing you around Eeylop's Owl Emporium. That is, of course, if you want to use an owl. You could always go to Magical Menagerie for a bigger selection," Draco drawled. Trowa just shrugged noncomittically.  
  
"Well, guess it's time to fly. Come on, Harry!" Duo said, beginning to walk off.  
  
"Wait, Duo," Heero said. Duo immediately spun around and came back to Heero. The quick reaction did not go unnoticed. The small group began to wonder. "Here is 100 galleons for each of you," Heero said, handing Trowa, Wufei, Duo and Quatre a small pouch. "Some of the money is in sickles and knuts. Spend wisely but don't worry about how much everything cost."  
  
"Accepted," Wufei said.  
  
"Understood," Trowa said.  
  
"Okay, Heero," Quatre said.  
  
"Ha~i!" Duo sang. The pilots sighed.  
  
"Oh! And Duo, do not, under any circumstances, go to Quality Quidditch Supplies unless Heero or one of us is with you, understand?" Quatre said.  
  
"Hai!" Duo answered. "Let's go!" Whooping happily, Duo took off down the street. The pilots and their escorts sighed. Oh well. Time to work. The group split up and wondered off in search of school supplies.  
  
***Tsuzuku of TBC*** 


	10. Shopping

Chapter Nine: Shopping  
  
(Heero and Draco POV)  
  
Heero and Draco headed away from the group toward Diagon Alley's Apothecary. Heero said nothing, but Draco filled the silence with drawling anecdotes about the person he found most important in the world. Himself.  
  
"--so it was painfully obvious that he was wrong and I was, of course, right. Malfoys are always right, you know. It comes with the job description of being rich and superior to everyone else. Anyway, the ruddy bint still insisted he was right, when it was me that was--" Draco drawled, going on and on about himself. Beside him, Heero was about ready to pull his hair out. He decided to break his usual habits and speak.  
  
"Malfoy?" he interrupted. Draco shot Heero a questioning look. "Shut up." That silenced the Slytherin Ice Prince. No one had ever told Draco Malfoy to shut up aside from Harry Potter, and Draco believed that to be a very special case.  
  
Before Draco could regain his footing and answer, they arrived at the Apothecary. Draco went in first and headed to the counter while Heero pulled out the list of ingredients Duo and Quatre had told them they would need. Heero didn't really want to know what Duo needed dragon's blood for. Heero smoothed out the list and looked over it.  
  
3 bushels of mandrake root 5 mandrake leaves 1 aconite branch 1 bicorn horn 3 teaspoons of beetle eyes 19 belladonna petals 3 foxglove plants 4 dried blackberries (seedless) 1 cup of dragon saliva 3 strips of yarrow root 7 1/2 teaspoons of octopus powder 1 bezoar stone 1 pint of lacewings 2 seasoned unicorn hairs (cut at midnight under a full moon) 1 medium sized nettle plant  
  
"You do realize that you have the ingredients for a fairly strong magic amplifier potion listed here, right?" Draco said from beside Heero, pointing from the mandrake root down to the dragon saliva. "And a reasonably effective healing potion here?" he continued, dragging a long, manicured finger from the yarrow root to the nettle plant. Heero said nothing. "Well, hurry up and collect them while I collect our more tame school supplies. Don't want to be late, I'm sure."  
  
"Hn," Heero said, moving off deeper into the store. He reached a shelf labeled dragon parts and reached for a vial filled with approximately one cup of dragon saliva, when someone cleared their throat. Heero spun quickly, dropped the vial and reached for the gun that Dumbledore had confiscated for the time being. He cursed fluently in Japanese, then looked down in mild surprise at the sizzling floor, wondering idly why Duo would need such a dangerous substance. Back when they used to hop from high school to high school, Duo was always banned from the Chemistry labs, hazardous liquids being one of the various reasons.  
  
"That happens when you drop that much dragon saliva," said a female voice. The girl who had cleared her throat earlier stepped into more certain light. She was tall, with long brown hair and hard looking eyes. Her hair was currently pulled into two severe pigtails. "Anne Vingt, assistant potions helper here at the Apothecary. Need any help?"  
  
Heero did answer right away. Something about the girl nagged at him. She reminded him of someone. Someone...he had it! She looked an awful lot like Lady Une, Commander Treize Khushrenada's right hand woman. There was something about this world that didn't strike Heero as right. "I do not require any help," he said coldly, turning away to grab another vial of dragon's saliva.  
  
"In that case, you'll have to pay for the vial you dropped," Anne said waspishly. She didn't like being dismissed.  
  
"Ryoukai." Heero continued down the shelves, measuring out beetles eyes and lacewings, grabbing dried blackberries and unicorn hairs. Soon his whole list was filled and he headed to the front of the shop where Draco waited, his arms as full as Heero's. Anne followed.  
  
"Finished, Yuy?" Draco asked, eyeing the large pile of various ingredients in the Asian boy's grasp. Seemingly satisfied, he turned to the owner of the Apothecary. "We'll have this and that," he said haughtily. The man, recognizing a Malfoy, immediately began taking ingredients from each boy's arms and wrapping them, then putting them in a small bag that expanded on the inside, not the outside.  
  
"That will be 15 galleons for the five Advanced Potions Kits, and 28 galleons and 2 sickles for the rest, Master Malfoy," the owner said, handing Heero the small, surprisingly light bag.  
  
"He owes us for spilling an entire vial of dragon's saliva," Anne piped up. The owner looked up, uncomfortable. Heero looked impassive.  
  
Draco looked at Heero. "You spilled a vial of dragon's saliva?" he asked.  
  
"Hn. She startled me," Heero said, in a tone that could only mean she-would- be-dead-now-if-Dumbledore-hadn't-taken-my-gun.  
  
"Well then, no harm no foul," the owner said hurriedly, eyeing Draco and his companion fearfully. Draco looked to Heero, who nodded.  
  
"We'll pay for the extra vial. How much?" he asked.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Master Malfoy," the man began.  
  
"How much?" Draco demanded.  
  
"Three galleons," he squeaked. Heero handed over a total of 46 galleons and 2 sickles. "Thank you, sirs. Have a magical day." Draco nodded and strode out of the store. Heero followed soon after, looking back once at the girl who was glaring venomously.  
  
"How do you know Anne Vingt?" Draco asked, when they moved out into the bustling street.  
  
"I don't. She says she works there," said Heero, his usual monotone more pronounced.  
  
"You refused her help, didn't you," Draco stated. "That girl is more spoiled than any Malfoy. She always gets what she wants, even if it is just to help out a customer. If you told her a simple 'I'm fine' she'd vow revenge forever. A bit loony, if you ask me." Heero nodded once, then began to walk faster. "What's the hurry, Yuy?"  
  
"You have to get fitted for your robes," Heero said decisively.  
  
"Don't you mean we have to be fitted?" Draco asked.  
  
"Iie. Duo knows the exact measurements of all of us. Our robes should be done. The rest of you will need the dress robes hinted about in the letter," Heero answered. He quieted, realizing he'd passed his word quota for the day. "Hn."  
  
"Right, then," Draco said. They entered Madam Malkin's in time to see Duo and Harry leaving, Duo with a bag and a black robe trimmed with silver over his arm. Harry had a scarlet robe lightly trimmed with gold over his arm.  
  
"Hiya, Hee-chan!" Duo cried, giving Heero a one-armed hug. "I got all the necessaries for all five of us in this bag. Madam Malkin says it expands inside. Pretty cool, ne? Anyway, all you have to do is tell her what trim you want and she'll finish your robe for you. She doesn't have to fit you, Draco, since she said you specially order from her. Also, everyone else has already been here to get their dress robes, so don't worry about that. It cost about 113 galleons, so would you mind giving Madam M the extra money? Thanks! Well, me and Harry have to go pick up the books, ok, Heero? I'll grab yours too, okay? Gotta run. See ya soon. Caio!" And in a whirlwind of color and energy, Duo was gone, Harry staring where the braided boy had stood.  
  
"You have to run after him before he gets too far," Heero suggested quietly. Nodding quickly, Harry took off. Shrugging, Draco entered Madam Malkin's, followed by Heero.  
  
*** (Harry and Duo POV)  
  
"Duo, wait!" Harry cried, panting. Duo froze in mid-dash and spun around to grin at Harry. "Merlin, you're fast!"  
  
"Thanks! Everyone always tell me I'm a whirlwind of terror, but I think they're joking," Duo said, backing up abit to stroll alongside Harry. I don't, thought Harry. "Anyway, back to what we were talking about."  
  
When Harry and Duo had left the group, they were fitted by Malkin, then Duo gave the woman and her assistant the other pilots' measurements and the other required clothes. While they waited for the robes and things to be completed, Duo struck up a conversation about Quidditch, which took a turn to House rivalries, which predictably headed for Draco Malfoy. When Harry had blushed at the mention of the blond Slytherin, Duo's interest was peaked.  
  
"So, what's the deal with Prince Sexiness?" the braided boy asked, walking slowly so the two teens would have more time to talk. Harry blushed again. "Oh, I get it! You like him!" Harry's blush deepened. "Two points for detective Maxwell!!!"  
  
"Duo, please, not so loud," Harry pleaded, conscious of the other witches and wizards watching them curiously.  
  
"Alright, Harry. Let's slip into Quality Quidditch Supplies to talk," Duo said, knowing the store contained bean bag chairs for when actual Quidditch players came to visit. He idly wondered if Harry counted as the 'one of us' Quatre had talked of. "It's 12:25 now, so we have about 15 minutes to talk before we should get our books."  
  
"Less than that, actually, but let's go," Harry answered. When they entered the store, the clerk immediately recognized Harry and led him and his companion to a secluded corner with comfortable chairs.  
  
"You're handy to have around, Harry," Duo joked, grinning. Harry just nodded and settled back in his chair. "So, what's the deal with Malfoy. You like him?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "He might still be an arse but you have to admit, he's sexy as all hell."  
  
Duo laughed. "You got that right. Malfoy has a body that could almost rival Hee-chan's. 'Course, almost being the key word," he said.  
  
"You like Yuy?" Harry asked, curious.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? I'm always throwing myself at him, sitting in his lap, hugging him, sometimes I even dare to give him a kiss. I'm in love, dude, and I can admit it," Duo said nonchalantly. Then his blue eyes took on a dreamy quality. "Those beautiful eyes...that toned body...that perfect ass..."  
  
"Doesn't he realize you're in love with him?" Harry asked.  
  
"Doubt it," Duo answered. "You see, Hee-chan is perfect in every way. That also counts perfectly oblivious. Unless I go up to him and say, 'Heero Yuy, I like you in a let's-get-naked-and-have-wild-monkey-sex kinda way', he'll never know."  
  
"Wow. That is dense." Harry looked down. "Do you think I'm transparent to Draco?"  
  
"Now that is easy. No," Duo said. "You act like you always do in front of Draco. Yeah, sometimes you blush, but you gotta admit, sexy-as-hell does that to you sometimes. Even Hermione said Malfoy has got it going on."  
  
"I guess you're right. I don't think there's any chance for me, though," Harry said forlornly.  
  
"Believe me, Harry-man, there is always a chance. Now let's get the hell out of here and go get our books. Hermione's gonna fry my ass if we're late," said Duo.  
  
"Don't you mean our?" Harry asked.  
  
"Nope. Mine. Hermione would never hurt Gryffindor's Golden Boy. Come on, let's go." Duo and Harry stood, thanked the proprietor of Quality Quidditch Supplies, and left. But not before Duo saw the Lightning prototype in the window.  
  
*** (Hermione and Wufei POV)  
  
Chang Wufei and Hermione Granger entered Flourish and Blotts five minutes after noon. And didn't leave until ten minutes before one. They'd already placed and paid for the orders of all the books, which came up to about 89 galleons and 25 knuts. Quatre had already come in with Ginny to retrieve their books, and so had Trowa and Blaise, which only left Harry, Heero, Duo and Draco.  
  
"That establishment is wonderful. I have never seen so many pieces of actually good literature in years. Back on my colony I never had much time to read, but my family did have many tomes that told of the past, and magic. I'm still wondering about that book you claim is new. I could've sworn I saw it in my library back home, written by a great grandparent something or other," Wufei said in one breath, almost as excited by books as Hermione. He was referring to the new book, Myths Proven True In Ancient Chinese Lore by Chang Ling Chow. He distinctly remembered the name as one of his ancestors, and when he'd looked through the book, found several of the same passages.  
  
"What do you mean by colony? Only ants colonize," Hermione said, as they strolled slowly toward Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. They'd already received their dress robes (Wufei's in blue trimmed with white, Hermione's in gold trimmed with scarlet) and had met everyone but Heero and Draco at Madam Malkin's. It seemed they'd all had the same idea to get their robes before they did anything else.  
  
"I lived on a colony. You are a Muggle. You should know what a colony is," Wufei said. At Hermione's blank look he searched his memory for something in her time to convince her. "Oh! The International Space Station," he said.  
  
Understanding dawned, then Hermione snorted. "That? Please, that's just some stupid story the scientists make up to get governmental backing. The station will never be finished."  
  
"You are correct. The ISS was never completed, because the scientists discovered a stronger, more pliable metal to build the initial station out of. The scientist in charge, one Arthur Lagrange, worked hard for twenty years until a fully functional colony was built. He named it Lagrange 1, or L1, as we call it," Wufei said. "L1-X34002 is where Heero was born."  
  
Hermione looked astonished. "So what you're saying is that ISS was unsuccessful like most people believed, but that one colony does go up?"  
  
"More than that. In my time, we have what are called colony clusters. L1- X34002 is part of the first Lagrange Colony Cluster. There is also the L2, L3, L4 through L7 clusters. Quatre was born on L4, Trowa was born on Earth, I was born on L5 and Duo was born on L2. We all have a bit of colony in us. It is easy to tell because all of us are a bit paler than normal, except for Heero, who was trained on Earth since he was eight years old." Wufei shifted a light bag filled with his books and continued. "So most likely, your great great granddaughter will be born in space."  
  
Hermione looked bowled over yet intrigued, all signs of a good scholar. "Well, you'll have to tell me more over ice cream," she said, slipping into a Fortescue's chair. After they'd both ordered, Wufei a chocolate/vanilla sundae, Hermione a banana split with chopped nuts and caramel topping, they settled in to talk and wait for the others.  
  
***  
  
(Quatre and Ginny POV)  
  
"Those dress robes look very nice on you, Miss Virginia," Quatre said, smiling at the young girl dressed in gold robes with red trim. Ginny blushed.  
  
"Just call me Ginny, Quatre," she said. "And you don't look too shabby yourself." It was Quatre's turn to blush. He was wearing robes that were a soft pink, something you could get away with in Hufflepuff, since no one could quite remember the exact colors.  
  
"Thanks, Miss Ginny," he said. "Let's hurry up and by these extra things so we can get to the ice cream parlour. Knowing Hermione and Wufei, they are already there." Ginny nodded and they entered the Cauldron Shoppe. A large poster advertised it a bit different from last year except for the words: Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible.  
  
"Let's split up. You get the cauldrons and the phials and I'll get the scales and the telescopes," Ginny said. Quatre nodded and they went their separate ways. Ginny picked up five sets of silver scales and five top of the line telescopes, assuming money wasn't a big deal, and Quatre grabbed five sets of crystal phials, knowing money was no object, and five standard size 6 silver cauldrons. They brought their loads to the register, where the shop owner rang them up.  
  
"That'll be 45 galleons, please," she said. Quatre handed over the money, and they left the shop and headed for Fortescue's. Grinning because he couldn't wait to see his lover, he hurried to the ice cream parlour. Spotting Hermione and Wufei, he and Ginny sat beside them and ordered two chocolate sundaes, then began to talk about their twisted wizarding government while waiting for the others.  
  
(A/N: I know the Q, Ginny part was short, but I find Ginny to be boring.)  
  
***  
  
(Trowa and Blaise POV)  
  
Blaise led Trowa around Eeylop's Owl Emporium, shifting the bag of Trowa's books he'd offered to carry. Trowa himself carried his brown Hufflepuff dress robes that had dark brown trim, and the European teen examined each owl carefully before moving on to another. They went from Barn and Brown to Tawny, Snowy and Screech. Finally, Trowa stopped much longer in front of a Tawny owl that was deep black with streaks of brown around it's eyes and a white feathered stomach. It's eyes were a weird shade of yellow green.  
  
"I'll take this one," Trowa said decisively to Eeylop himself. Eeylop stepped forward and began shaking his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, laddy, but that owl cannae be sold. She's a temperamental one, she is. She'll more 'an likely bite yer ear off 'en carry a letter for ye," explained the Scottish store owner.  
  
"I still want her," Trowa said. "How much?"  
  
"53 galleons, lad. But I doubt ye be affordin' that," Eeylop began. Trowa dumped the correct amount of galleons into the store owners hands. Eeylop suddenly turned jolly. "Here ye go, laddy. Rare breed she is. Half tawny, half snowy, quarter eagle owl, she is. Her name be Myrla, means fierce in Nordic, I'm thinkin'. Enjoy!" And he pushed the two out of his shop.  
  
"Got what you wanted?" Blaise asked, wondering about the large amount of money Trowa had just paid so nonchalantly. Were the foreign students rich?  
  
"Yes." Trowa turned away and exited the shop, the cage containing Myrla held under his arm. "Let's go." Trowa left the Emporium and headed for Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Blaise behind him. Both were itching for jello parfaits and their companions.  
  
***  
  
(Harry and Duo POV again)  
  
Leaving Flourish and Blotts with another one of those nifty expanding bags, Harry and Duo finally headed for Fortescue's. They spotted Heero and Draco coming out of Madam Malkin's, so they hurried up to them.  
  
"Hee-chan!" Duo said, giving Heero a hug similar to earlier. "How's it going? Lemme see your robes?"  
  
Heero shrugged and pulled a scarlet robe with dark gold trim out of one of his bags. He handed it to Duo, who examined it from collar to hem.  
  
"Nice," he said.  
  
"Let me guess, Malfoy. Green with silver trim?" Harry said. Draco smirked.  
  
"Actually, silver with green trim. I'm going for a new look this year," he answered.  
  
There was nothing wrong with the old one, Harry was tempted to say. Draco's smirk widened imperceptibly. Not a damn thing.  
  
"So, ready to head to Fortescue's?" asked Duo. The other three nodded, so they traipsed down to the ice cream parlour and saw all six of the others already there, happily eating ice cream. Quatre saw them and waved. They slipped into seats next to their friends.  
  
"I took the liberty of ordering for you," Quatre said. "Harry, Hermione said you like strawberry with nuts and cherries. Duo, I know you like double chocolate fudge. Heero, I got you your usual banana medley, and Draco, chocolate parfait?"  
  
"All great, Kit Kat! Astute as always, I see," Duo said.  
  
"I didn't even know you knew that word, Duo," Wufei joked. Duo just grinned at him.  
  
"Pilots," Heero said quietly. Everyone quieted. "Please put the galleons you haven't spent on the table." Heero himself put down 43 galleons and 15 sickles. Duo didn't put down anything, which was expected. Wufei dropped 10 galleons, 16 sickles and 4 knuts. Quatre threw in 55, and Trowa added 47 galleons. Heero mentally counted in his head. "We have 155 galleons and 4 knuts left over from 500 galleons. We spent approximately $1730 and some cents today."  
  
Duo, Harry and Hermione whistled. Quatre and Wufei looked sheepish. Trowa looked impassive and Heero watched them all. "That is our limit for today, I believe. The remaining galleons will be split accordingly, and you may have free reign of Diagon Alley for half an hour, in which time we will retrieve Professor Snape and return to Hogwarts. Understood?" Heero continued.  
  
"Sir!" the remaining pilots said, saluting. Heero handed each pilot exactly 31 galleons, and left the four knuts on the table to pay for their ice cream. Draco, Hermione, Blaise, Ginny and Harry each added their own knuts, then the group stood.  
  
"Meet here at 1:30pm," Heero said. The pilots saluted again, then split up and took off with out their escorts.  
  
"Will they be back?" Hermione asked Heero anxiously.  
  
"Eventually," Heero answered, before he too melted into the afternoon crowd.  
  
Hermione sighed in exasperation. Those boys...  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	11. Meeting Relena's Ancestor

Part Ten: Meeting Relena's Ancestor  
  
Duo hurried toward Quality Quidditch Supplies, his pockets heavy with galleons. He was giddy with happiness. Heero had given him exactly enough for that Lightning prototype!  
  
He burst through the doors of the store like a man on a mission. Luckily the clerk knew the look well. He hurried to Duo and grasped his shoulders. "Which one?" he asked urgently. Duo bounced up and down and pointed to the Lightning prototype. The clerk smiled and released Duo.  
  
"Sorry, kid, but you can't afford that--" he began.  
  
"How much?" Duo asked, still almost bouncing off the walls.  
  
"It's an awful lot of money," the clerk tried again.  
  
"How.Much," Duo demanded.  
  
The clerk flushed and named a price that would have made Draco Malfoy cough a bit. Duo grinned brightly. "What, only 30 galleons? You insult me, good sir!" he said. The clerk just sputtered and accepted the galleons Duo pushed into his hands. "Wrap it up and have it sent to Hogwarts, please. Oh, and add that broom polishing kit I see over there. Thanks, chap." Duo dropped the last galleon he had in the clerk's hand and left the store.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Quatre headed back to Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. He hadn't told anyone yet, but Trowa had proposed that morning and Quatre needed wedding robes. He'd brought it up with Malkin before he left with Ginny for Fortescue's.  
  
He looked down at his gold engagement ring set with a sapphire stone, and sighed. He was finally getting married to the man he loved. Well, boy. And they did have to wait a year in the wizarding world, two back in AC 196. Shrugging, Quatre entered the shop and proceeded to pick out robes ranging from white to pink.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Wufei grinned uncharacteristicly as he hurried back to Flourish and Blotts. A store filled to the roof beams with books! It was a scholar's heaven! And the moving pictures! He couldn't wait to get back.  
  
He entered the store and immediately went to the Myths and Legends section. He grabbed about 13 books and stumbled to the counter. Throwing down his pile of galleons to the startled cashier -who secretly suspected that the oriental boy was related to that bushy haired girl, Hermo-ninny or whatnot- his grin widening. Life was good when you had the money of future terrorists and political psychos to spend.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Trowa slipped into a chair near the entrance to Diagon Alley from the wizarding world. The galleons he'd received from Heero were safely tucked away. He didn't want to spend it frivilously. He had an engagement present to buy. Smiling slightly, Trowa settled in to wait for his beloved and his friends.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
"25."  
  
"12."  
  
"23."  
  
"12."  
  
"Okay, 20."  
  
"12."  
  
"19?"  
  
"Hn. 12."  
  
"Please, kid...17?"  
  
"12."  
  
"Gah! Alright, 12!" yelled the man who owned the Diagon Alley branch of Zonko's Joke Shoppe. Before him was a humongous pile of jokes and a stoic Japanese kid with a handful of galleons and an attitude. Personally, the owner thought the kid needed the jokes. He quickly wrapped up the jokes and took the boy's money. "Thank you for shopping at Zonko's. We hope your pranks take flight. Enjoy your stay in Hogsmeade!" he said cheerily. "And get a frickin' personality! Honestly!" he muttered under his breath.  
  
Heero just glared coldly at him, then snatched up his package and walked out the door. At least Duo would appreciate his dry humor.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
All five pilots converged on their escorts in front of the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron at exactly the same time. They eached eyed each others packages, mildly curious. Heero walked up to Duo and handed him the large bag labled Zonko's in entricate letters.  
  
"Zonko's! You got me pranks, Hee-chan?! Oh, arigatou gozaimashite!!" Duo cried, glomping Heero. The Japanese boy blushed faintly. He straightened quickly and eyed Duo's package.  
  
"What did you buy?" he asked in his monotone.  
  
Duo's face lit up. "I bought a Lightning prototype racing broom!" he cried happily. "It has charmed steering so it will turn at the lightest touch, and that, plus the amount of broom power it has can be modified to the owners taste!"  
  
"Meaning what?" Wufei asked.  
  
"Meaning someone could buy a Lightning prototype for a five year old, modify the speed and quality of the broom, and the kid would be perfectly safe," Harry answered. Leave it to the quidditch-obsessed Boy-Who-Lived to answer a question about the only broom possibly faster than his modified one.  
  
"Cool," Quatre said vaguely, dreaming of nights riding on a broom with Trowa, the moon full and the stars bright. He blushed cutely, then gestured to the portal. "Shall we go? I'm sure Professor Snape has awoken by now."  
  
"Unlikely. I told Tom to knock him out again if he regained consciousness," Draco drawled. Everyone turned to stare incrediously at him, even Blaise. "What? I wanted to enjoy this day." Before he could say more, an inhuman shriek filled the quiet afternoon air.  
  
"HEEEEERROOOO!" it said, trailing down the bustling streets of Diagon Alley. The Perfect Soldier froze, then tensed almost imperceptibly. But it was enough for the other pilots. What alerted their escorts that something was wrong was the pale faces of the supposedly seasoned soldiers. Quatre was the palest of all and he looked guilty. Heero immediately picked up on it.  
  
"What did you do?" he growled at the poor blond. Trowa moved in front of his fiance and glared at Heero.  
  
"I'm sorry, Heero! She said her name was Rellina Pemberton-Dorci and she sat at the Hufflepuff table at the welcoming feast and she said she liked you and she probably overheard Dumbledore this morning about us coming here and she has just as much power as Relena from back home so she could probably leave school whenever she wants and I'm terribly terribly sorry! Please don't kill me!!!" Quatre wailed at a speed that even rivaled Duo's. Surprisingly, Heero's eyes softened somewhat.  
  
"Forgiven, Qua--"  
  
"HEEERRROOOO!!!" the cry came again. This time the boys turned white as a sheet.  
  
"What's going on?" Blaise demanded.  
  
"And what is that horrible noise? Is a banshee on the loose?" Ginny asked timidly.  
  
"Pretty damn close, Weasley," Duo muttered, his blue eyes searching the crowd frantically. There! A pink bundle of something barreling toward them. "We can't stay here, Hee-chan. Make a decision quick. The Leaky Cauldron or Knockturn Alley?"  
  
"I can lead you to a sanctuary in Knockturn Alley," Draco said helpfully.  
  
Heero looked undecided, but after the third banshee-like wail (in which large amounts of the crowd fell to their knees screaming in obvious pain), Heero answered. "Knockturn Alley," he said. Then began spitting out orders. "Draco and Duo, point. Harry, Quatre, Trowa and Ginny, center. Hermione, Wufei, Blaise and I will cover rear. Use Dark Arts if you must. Understood?"  
  
"Hai!" they chorused, the escorts picking up a bit of Japanese.  
  
"Good. Move out."  
  
The ten teenagers began dashing down the street, Draco leading them down back alleys and through shady shops, until the entrance to Borgin and Burkes Antique Shoppe, their sanctuary, came into view. It was only a few feet away. Heero lifted a foot to take a step...and was toppled to the ground by a weight. He opened his eyes and got a faceful of cloying rose perfume and pink cloth. They were too late.  
  
"Heero!! Oh, Heero!!!" the pink monstrousity giggled, hugging the pale stoic teen below her. The others froze and slowly turned around, shocked to see their leader down for the count. They were even more shocked when Heero scanned each of their faces, lingering on Duo, then looked back at Rellina...before passing out cold.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
"Fuck! What the hell am I gonna do! We gotta wake him up!" Duo cried, pacing back and forth in front of Fortescue's, where Heero lay on a long bench, out cold. The others surrounded him, including Rellina.  
  
"Duo, he's only unconscious," Hermione said matter-of-factly.  
  
"You don't understand!" Duo wailed, then turned away to bury his face in Heero's school robes.  
  
"What is up with him?" Harry asked.  
  
"It is simple. We have known Heero for almost two years now, and not once has he fallen unconscious by any other means but a severe wound...and Relena," Quatre said gravely.  
  
"Relena?" Blaise said.  
  
"Yes. Relena Peacecraft-Darlian, adopted daughter of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian and true daughter of King Richard Peacecraft the Third. Sister to Milliardo Peacecraft, who you all know as Zechs," Trowa supplied.  
  
"Translation?" Hermione asked.  
  
"A crazy onna who has been infatuated with Yuy since the day she met him, when they were eleven. Seeing an ancestor of the Pink Demon Witch has probably thrown Yuy into another relapse," Wufei commented.  
  
"Another relapse?" Ginny questioned.  
  
"Well, there was that time when all the guys threw Quatre a surprise birthday party, and Relena popped out of the cake, thinking it was Heero's bachelor party before their wedding..." Duo said.  
  
"And the time when she showed up at one of our safehouses wearing a pink lace teddy and Heero answered the door..." Trowa said.  
  
"And there was that one time when--" Quatre began.  
  
"Enough," snapped Draco. "You are giving me chills."  
  
Their conference was interrupted by the voice that grated on their sanity.  
  
"Is Heero going to be alright? He hasn't even professed his love to me yet!" Rellina cried.  
  
"No, he's not alright, and he never will be until your entire line is dead, and hell no, he won't profess his love for you!" Duo said, annoyed.  
  
"But I've known him for six years!" she wailed.  
  
"No you...what?" Quatre asked, his teal eyes going wide.  
  
"I've know Heero since we were ten. Everyone called him Odin back then, since it was the name of his father's childhood friend, but I called him Heero, cuz he wanted me to," Relena said proudly. The pilots stared at her, and Duo voiced what everyone was thinking.  
  
"What the hell?" he muttered.  
  
~~~***~~~ //Back at Hogwarts, the Infirmary//  
  
"Okay, tell us what you meant by knowing Heero since he was ten? Give us some solid info and evidence, Missy," Duo demanded. The others nodded decisively. The only other ones there were Harry, Rellina and -for some unknown reason- Blaise. On the bed beside the teens lay Heero, a cold compress on his head and a thick blanket around his body.  
  
"Alright!" Rellina said cheerily. "I moved to Bath, England from Sanq when I was five and lived with my Aunt Merissa Dorci. After five more years, when I turned ten, Aunt Merissa brought me to London so I could be closer to Hogwarts. I got my letter early," she said smugly. "After then I went to Diagon Alley for my school supplies. When I was in Ollivander's I met Heero. He was with his father, Kamui Lowe, this half-Japanese wizard. Heero was incredibly mean to me, but I just found it adorable."  
  
"No shit. Relena trait #562," Duo muttered under his breath. Quatre elbowed him in the ribs.  
  
"Mr.Lowe met Aunt Merissa and since they were old school friends they began talking. That left me and my Heero alone. He told me to go away but I was already in love and he was just playing hard to get. He said some endearing things in Japanese, I'm sure they were wonderful, and left. Since then I see him every where. It's obvious he follows me around because he likes me. There's no way he could be everywhere I am all the time," Rellina said, grinning. "And here's my proof." She whipped out a photo, obviously from quite awhile ago, of a miniature Heero and Rellina, one leaning against the Entrance Hall doors and the other with her arms around his neck. "This is us in second year. I didn't recognize him in the Sorting because he's been gone for almost two years, supposedly to recuperate from a traumatic experience. He should have been fine that night, though. After all, I did finally express my love! But now my darling Heero is back!!"  
  
"Yeah, back to kill your obsessive ass," Duo mumbled to himself. This time it was Wufei who elbowed him so hard he fell over and hit the floor.  
  
"Wu-chan!" he whined, rubbing his aching head.  
  
"Look, Miss Pemberton, I'm sure you believe that Yuy is your White Knight or some such onna logic, but he has been with us for two years and we know that he doesn't--"  
  
"How long?" Rellina asked sweetly, interrupting Wufei.  
  
"Two years," Wufei snapped. "We..." The oriental boy trailed off as he realized what he had said. "What in the seventh hell is going on?"  
  
"I assure, Mr.Chang, nothing much is commencing there at the moment. But if you would kindly follow me to my office, I will tell you what is happening here," answered Dumbledore, blue-robed form appearing besided the Chinese 6th year. The pilots stared at the Headmaster, then one by one nodded. "Very well. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Blaise, please keep an eye on young Mr. Potter there. We will return shortly." Dumbledore exited the Infirmary in a swirl of robes, the others behind him.  
  
It took Harry and the others a minute to catch what Dumbledore had said. "Mr. Potter?"  
  
***THE END***  
  
(A/N: Just kidding!)  
  
The boys filed into Dumbledore's office, for once minus their unofficial leader. Quatre and Trowa had already discussed it somewhat the night before. Though extremely powerful and kind, Albus Dumbledore was not to be trusted. They were sure Wufei had already caught onto their feelings, and Duo could be dealt with later.  
  
"Have a seat, boys. Get comfortable," the old man said, making a sweeping gesture at the four chairs set up before his massive desk. "Tea?"  
  
"Earl Grey, please," Quatre said, familiar with Dumbledore's methods. A big teapot appeared over head, along with four tea cups. The cups fell into each boy's hands and the tea pot moved to Quatre and poured a measured amount. Two more containers appeared, sugar and cream apparently. Quatre partook of those also.  
  
"I'll just have green tea," Trowa said. He was quickly served, as was Duo, who liked Camomile tea -who knew?-. Wufei didn't drink tea. He believed it was stereotypical to people of oriental or asian descent.  
  
Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing the four boy's attention. "As I was saying--." He stopped as his door was opened and a blond head poked in. "Welcome, Mr Malfoy. Come sit down and partake in the festivities." Draco did as he was told. "Now, as I was saying, yesterday I told you that Heero bore a strong resemblance to Kamui Potter and Odin Lowe Jr, I failed to tell you what I discovered weeks ago. Heero Yuy is Odin Lowe Jr." Silence greeted this announcement.  
  
"No shit?!" Of course, Duo was the first to speak. He blushed. "I mean, really?"  
  
"Yes, Mr Maxwell. Your comrade-in-arms is none other than the cousin of Harry James Potter." Dumbledore allowed them a moment to process the information. "The truth is, even I am not sure what exactly happened, but roughly two years ago, a few days before Heero's thirteenth birthday (which is December 3rd, by the way), Heero (Odin at the time) disappeared. All anyone felt was a large surge of magic, and then he was gone."  
  
"So Heero just vanished one day? Didn't anyone register that this happened? Didn't Harry notice that his cousin was missing?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Well, truth be told, Harry didn't even know he had a cousin, much less noticed he disappeared. He didn't know that his father had a half brother, thereby not registering the connection between Odin Lowe Jr. and himself. He also didn't know that Odin's proper last name was Potter," Dumbledore continued. Five mouths opened. "How? Simple. Kamui Lowe's mother married Mellius Potter, James' father, then had Kamui, thereby making Kamui a Potter. Kamui chose Lowe as his last name from his mother because he wanted nothing to do with the Potters in later years." The omniscient Headmaster relaxed in his chair and picked up his own teacup, taking a sip before setting it down. "Logically, any child of a Potter is a Potter, and Kamui was a Potter. Therefore, Odin is really Odin Potter, not Lowe." Nodding to himself in satisfaction, Dumbledore set about finishing his tea.  
  
"So no one noticed that a student suddenly went missing?" Wufei asked.  
  
"Surprisingly no. That is one of the reasons we are encouraging interhouse relations now. Apparently someone in Odin's House didn't particularly like him and he was a leader so others followed. This grudge kept Heero's disappearance under wraps. When he was gone, we didn't notice until a week later." Dumbledore stood. "Now that the situation is clear, I believe you children are still free of classes for the day. It might be productive to go to one of the dorms and organise your thoughts. Any word on Potter- I mean Heero, will be sent up to you. Good day." And the door to Dumbledore's office opened with no visible help from anyone.  
  
Taking the almost painfully obvious hint, the four pilots and Draco filed out of the Headmaster's office, gathering in the corridor outside. They froze when they saw Severus Snape waiting patiently for them to exit. Duo, fed up with the all encompassing seriousness of the last couple of days, opened his mouth.  
  
"Heya, Snape-baka! Whatcha doin' out here? Skulkin'? You seem to do that alot. It ain't healthy, man," he said, grinning. Quatre groaned and restrained himself from knocking Duo out. Trowa watched impassively, Wufei slapped a hand to his head and Draco just looked on with interest.  
  
Snape's face twisted into an even deeper sneer than normal. "I wouldn't be grinning so much, Mr. Maxwell. You have Divination first thing tomorrow. Professor Trelawney will most likely predict your untimely demise," he said.  
  
"Yes, but will it mean something?" Duo pointed out, wagging a finger in Snape's face. "That loon couldn't predict the color of a blue sky unless it could somehow be mortally wounded."  
  
Surprisingly, Snape chuckled. "Too true. Be that as it may, you are required to take Divination for this summer programme, loon or no." Sneer returning full force, Snape turned and strode off toward Dumbledore's office, his inky black cloak billowing artfully around him. "I simply cannot wait to see you in Potions on the morrow, foreigners. It will make for an...interesting period." Another eerie chuckle bridged the gap between the Potions Master and the four pilots (plus Draco. Musn't forget him), before Snape disappeared through the door.  
  
"Does he practice that or something? I swear, it ain't natural," Duo muttered, snatches of 'billowing' and 'has style' filtered through the jumble.  
  
"Isn't natural, Duo," Quatre corrected. Duo stuck his tongue out at the blond. "Anyway, I suggest we take Dumbledore's advise and head to one of our commons. Which do you think we should go to?"  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Head bowed and hands clasped behind his back, Duo strolled slowly along the edge of the lake outside of the castle. After Snape had made his dramatic exit, Quatre had expressed his wish to explore the castle. Trowa decided to go with him, thereby throwing the common room idea out the window. Draco planned to go to bed early, though it was only 7pm, and Wufei wanted to explore the Revenclaw dormitories more. Duo promptly decided that it was as good a time as any to think. Which found him out by the Squid lake, hands behind his back, braid slowly unraveling, thinking about whatever popped into his head. And today the star attraction was Heero Yuy.  
  
Duo found the half-Japanese pilot to be an unsolvable mystery, the kind of conundrum that only made partial sense over time, but never really was clear. (Duo had spent almost a week compiling that sentence with the help of Quatre and a dictionary.He wasn't dumb, by any stretch, but it took more than smarts to construct a sentence that awe inducing.) Heero had many facets, and so far Duo had come to the conclusion that all were false. There was Heero the Perfect Soldier, a personality manufactured for war. There was also Heero the child, a personification of Yuy that took quite a shock to reveal. And then there was Heero the uncaring, the emotionless. Duo knew that this Heero was the falsest of all, since he made Heero feel at regular intervals.  
  
The Perfect Soldier persona was just that, perfect. Not perfect in the sense that most people would see such a thing, though. Heero was perfect in a way only the Mad Five (the scientists) could truly appreciate. This Heero was emotionless, cold, and killed without even a twinge of remorse. Trained in anything and everything a soldier might need, his skills surpassed every other mobile suit pilot out there, including the four remaining Gundam pilots. That was why Heero's affliction was so amusingly ironic. The Perfect Soldier, felled by a ball of fluff.  
  
Duo chuckled as the next thought immediately followed the first. Heero the child, child Heero, any name did for the broken mental illusion Heero casts upon himself at highly emotional times in his life. When Heero was extremely sad, depressed or frustrated, he reverted to how he was 5 years ago. Scared, confused, a look of abject horror on his face, Child Heero couldn't take the death and destruction around him. This side of Heero was the only side that openly questioned the mindless killing the pilots were commanded to do.  
  
Daily in residence was the emotionless Heero that Quatre and the others were well intimate with. Waspish almost all the time, this Heero was always in a state Duo had dubbed 'constant male PMS'. He had no time for human contact at all, deciding instead to focus solely on the mission. All these sides served as an incredibly ironic joke to Duo. The Mad Five, or more specifically, Doctor J, had been so focused on creating the perfect soldier he accidently created a schizophrenic instead.  
  
Allowing himself a quick laugh, Duo trailed slowly back toward the school. Right about now the others would be returning to their dorms and getting ready for bed. Quatre would hug Trowa and they would discuss things lovers do before curling uo together. Wufei would have finished a detailed map of Revenclaw, and be performing his bedtime Tai Chi before turning in. Draco would already be asleep, leaving Duo to find his way back alone. And Heero...Heero would still be unconscious in the hospital wing. Even the counterspell to the stunning spell couldn't wake him.  
  
Sighing, Duo took off at a good pace, arriving at the castle doors in under five minutes. He entered and headed down the hall toward the Dungeons. Tomorrow would be a big day. Tomorrow the pilots started classes.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	12. School Finally Starts

A/N: Guess what? School finally starts!!!! *waves Japanese flag* BANZAI-AI- AI!!!!  
  
Part Eleven: School Finally Starts  
  
Sitting up quickly, Heero's eyes moved restlessly as he scanned his surroundings. He didn't recognize where he was, but there were three possible exits, a large oak door entrance to his left, and two balconies with French doors. Scanning the room once more, Heero's Prussian blue eyes landed on the door to his right labeled 'Madam Pomphrey'. Not knowing who that was, Heero's eyes narrowed. Had he been captured?  
  
"Calm down, Hee-bunny. It's mornin' and you need to get up. Madam Pomphrey is the nurse and you're in the Infirmary, or more specifically, the East Wing of Hogwarts," came a bright, bubbly voice. Heero looked up to see Duo standing in the doorway to the hall, black school robes clinging to his body and Quatre's blond head visibly behind him.  
  
"Yes, it is perfectly safe, Heero. Madam Pomphrey says you may leave now. It's breakfast time now, and I think Duo would appreciate it if we went to eat before classes. We received our schedules yesterday and you have Transfiguration first. It's Monday, by the way," the blond said.  
  
Heero looked from one boy to the other, guaging the danger level he was curently in by their eyes. When he found none, he nodded, 'hn'ed and got up. Duo ran forward and held out a Gryffindor school robe. "I got this for you, Hee-chan. The nurse says you can shower in there--" he pointed toward the bathroom, "before we head for breakfast. Ten minutes tops, Yuy!" Shoving the robes into Heero's hands, Duo grinned and both boys spun and left.  
  
Staring down at the material clutched in his hand, Heero's eyes narrowed again. Finally, shrugging, Heero headed for the bathroom. "Hn."  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Head bowed and deep in thought, Harry wandered into the Great Hall for breakfast, for once sans Hermione. Though he loved her as a friend, she sometimes hung around him a bit too much. And with the lose of Ron not two days ago, Harry was feeling a bit depressed. The only bright spot in this entire situation was Harry's new found comraderie with his crush, Draco Malfoy. The usually cruel Slytherin had been very good the last few days, and Harry hoped this would repeat all through the summer programme. It was too much to hope the boy liked him, but atleast he was being civil.  
  
Harry was dragged from his thoughts by a sound from the entrance of the Great Hall. He slipped into his seat at the Gryffindor table and turned to watch the door. In came Duo and Quatre, followed by a disgruntled looking Heero. The braided boy was laughing along with the blond as Heero stalked to the table. He sat in the seat beside Harry and mumbled a tight 'Ohayo'.  
  
The other two followed, Duo still laughing loudly. The braided boy threw his arms around Heero's neck and sat in his lap, hugging him. "Oh, come on, Hee-chan, stop bein' so uptight! Even Draco's looser than you!" he said, squeezing. Heero stiffened at Draco's name, as Harry did. Duo laughed again. "Jealous, Hee-babe?" The braided boy leaned closer, his nose almost touching a frozen Heero's. "Don't be jealous. I only have eyes for...you." Then Duo gave Heero's nose a big kiss and hopped up, changing the entire atmosphere in less than a second. He turned to Harry and winked.  
  
"Let's go to our tables, Duo. We can't eat breakfast here everyday," Quatre piped up, tugging on Duo's arm while still blushing from his display. Grinning, Duo nodded.  
  
"Right as always, Q-bean. Guess we'll meet back here before class then, ne? Ciao!" Duo gave Quatre a big hug before happily skipping to the Slytherin table. Still blushing, Quatre turned to Heero.  
  
"Is that okay with you, Heero?" he asked. Heero gave his usual response and Quatre smiled softly. "Of course, Heero." Then the blond lowered his voice. "You know, if you want Duo to like you more, extend your vocabulary," he whispered. Nodding once, Quatre trotted to the Hufflepuff table and sat next to Susan Bones, immediately striking up a conversation on the merits of pink to yellow.  
  
Harry turned to Heero, catching the glum look in his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked, immediately regretting it when Heero shot him an eye eviler than any ever described to him. A moment later the despondent look was back, and Heero actually sighed.  
  
"Duo is always telling me that I should talk more, stop being so anti- social. He calls my glare the Glare of Death. He even had it patented...what?" Heero said, catching Harry staring at him in astonishment.  
  
Harry tried to shake it off but it was too late and he blushed. "Sorry. The thing is, this is the most I've ever heard you say since I met you. No offense or anything," he rushed to say.  
  
"None taken," Heero answered, a bemused smile on his face. "I don't have very many...people skills. They weren't required for a sol--for my line of work."  
  
"What was your line of work?" Harry asked curiously. Heero shot him the Glare of Death and his mouth shut with a click.  
  
An apologetic look appeared on his face. "Gomen ne. Reflex. But I really can't tell you, not until I trust you more. Maybe when the others have fully accepted you will I tell you our pasts," Heero said. "That said, I must have breakfast. Today will be a day of firsts and I must have strength for it."  
  
Nodding in understanding, Harry dug into the eggs, bacon, sausage and kippers served for breakfast. Heero consumed just as much as he did, and soon they were on their second plates. Before they were quite finished, Dumbledore stood.  
  
"Students, Professors, staff and ghosts of Hogwarts, I would like to solemnly welcome you to the first annual Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry summer programme. I am extremely pleased with the amount of students that decided to take these extra classes over the summer to further your education early. As I understand it, this is a muggle practice, but the wizarding world would do well to take up a few of these rituals," Dumbledore began, blue eyes twinkling.  
  
"Breakfast is truly a unifying affair this morning. I spy several Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs at different House tables. Unfortunately, it seems as if the Slytherins and Gryffindors aren't getting into the spirit. Need I remind you of the importance of a unified front?" Straightening his robe collar, Dumbledore continued. "As I was saying, I would like to congratulate Hermione Granger on expanding the Society for the Protection of Elvish Welfare to Rome, the entirety of France, and parts of East Russia. Good job, Miss Granger."  
  
The Gryffindor table exploded into applause, as well as a few Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Draco, the only Slytherin. Hermione just sat there and blushed redder and redder until even Ron, now their mortal enemy, was visibly concerned.  
  
Professor McGonagall performed a quick calming spell, then Dumbledore continued. "As my final announcement, I would like to introduce a new professor, someone I'm sure none of you have heard of. He will be teaching Physical Combat. Please welcome Professor Romulus Lupin."  
  
Complete quiet descended over the Great Hall, not a sound issuing from even the Gryffindor table. Harry's mind worked furiously as he tried to remember where he'd heard the name before. 'Oh, on that tapestry thingy in Sirius' house. What was it--oh, Remus' brother! But I thought he was dead or something,' Harry thought, everything jumbling in his mind. 'Well, only one way to find out.' Harry stood. "Sir? Are you related to Remus Lupin in any way?"  
  
Several students stared at Harry as Romulus, a tall, young looking man with darker blond hair than Remus and deep blue eyes, moved forward. "Hm, Harry Potter, is it?" Romulus drawled. "A bit small for his age, isn't he?"  
  
Harry blushed lightly, but stood straighter. "Answer my question, sir," Harry demanded softly. Romulus looked a bit surprised, then smiled.  
  
"Aw, yes, courage of a Gryffindor. How very quaint. Yes, I happen to be Remus' older brother," he said, smirking. "What is it to you, little Griffy?"  
  
Harry scowled. How dare this man call him that! "None of your business...*sir*." And Harry sat down.  
  
"Aheh..ahem, yes, that was...er...interesting, wouldn't you say, Minerva?" Dumbledore stammered, sending surreptitious looks toward both Romulus and Harry. "As I was saying, Professor Lupin will be teaching anyone who is willing during lunch hours, and occasionally after dinner. If you are willing to forego eating, he will instruct you in hand-to-hand combat, four different styles of martial arts and various defensive styles. Any assistance is welcome, as Hogwarts has many students. A box will be placed near the Entrance Hall for anyone who would like to submit their assistance."  
  
"Now, there is nothing left to say but this: zigger, canit, dice, whoohoo. Enjoy your day. Thank you." And Dumbledore swept out of the Great Hall in a swirl of brightly colored robes.  
  
"That dude is so crazy," Duo muttered, half a piece of bacon hanging from his mouth.  
  
"Some say that true power must be balanced by insanity. Perfect examples would be Dumbledore and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Draco said as he stood up. "Either way, we have no time to think about that barmy coot. We have a class to attend, and Slytherins are never late."  
  
"Aye aye, Malfoy, sir!" Duo said, saluting stiffly before collapsing in a giggling mass. Draco smiled fondly before leading the way to their first period, Divination.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Quatre and Trowa hurried through breakfast then followed their fellow Hufflepuffs out of the Great Hall. Quatre stopped for a moment and dropped a slip of parchment into the box Dumbledore had placed in the Entrance Hall, stating that he would assist in teaching Tai Chi (the meditaton half, anyway. He couldn't do any of the wavy-arm moves). Trowa did the same, willing to instruct some students in the art of Tae Kwon Do.  
  
They moved with the stream of students, up one staircase that suddenly moved while they were on it (Quatre giggled and clapped his hands like some of the first years). Finally the group stepped off on the second floor, and the two boys watched as several sixth year Hufflepuffs entered a large wooden door at the back next to a mirror.  
  
"I take it this is Charms?" Quatre asked a passing housemate, his schedule held before him. The Hufflepuff, a boy with dark brown curls, grey eyes and an easy smile, stopped and turned to Quatre.  
  
"Aye, this be Charms," he said in a thick Scottish accent. The boy smiled at Quatre. "H'lo. Jon MacRamsey, 6th year. Who be ye?"  
  
"Q-quatre Winner. I am also in my 6th year," the blond stuttered, blushing. Jon had an arresting smile. Unfortunately, Trowa didn't share the same sentiment.  
  
"Trowa Barton. A pleasure. Are you going in?" Trowa said, stepping in front of Quatre. Jon looked taken aback.  
  
"Er, aye. Nice ta meet ye. I'm goin' in," he said. He winked at Quatre. "See ye in class, little laddie." With one last smile, Jon entered the Charms classroom with the other Hufflepuffs. As soon as he was out of sight Trowa scowled.  
  
"Trowa!" Quatre reprimanded, waving a slender finger in the tall European's face. "Why were you being so mean to that nice boy? You go apologize right now!"  
  
A dark blush stained Trowa's face. He was sorry, kind of, but mostly embarassed. Oh no, he didn't care about the people milling about him heading to different classrooms watching him get scolded by a small blond boy. He cared that he'd lost control of his emotions and let a small spark of jealousy control his actions.  
  
"I'm sorry, Quatre. I didn't mean to scare away your new friend. If you want, we can sit with him and make friends. Forgive me, angel," Trowa said softly, reaching out with one hand to softly caress the inside of Quatre's palm. The blond boy melted instantly. He leaned slightly into Trowa, tilting his head back ever so slowly for a kiss...and realized the Charms door was closing behind the last Hufflepuff.  
  
Seperating, they hurried to the door and yanked it open again, slipping through and shutting it. Smoothing his robe quickly, Quatre tried to look casual as he searched for the face of the boy who'd made his boyfriend jealous. He spotted Jon sitting at a table in the far corner. There was a seat empty beside Jon and another seat empty beside the Justin Finch- Fletchy boy Susan Bones had pointed out earlier during breakfast. Unfortunately, Justin was sitting at the desk behind Jon, so the choice was kind of hard.  
  
Not for Quatre, though. He hurried up and slipped into the seat beside Jon, smiling a greeting. Trowa stayed frozen to the spot for a moment, in momentary shock. He'd always known he wasn't good enough for Quatre, but having the evidence before his eyes was really fucking with his thought processes.  
  
"Is something wrong, Mr. Barton, that you have to stand in the doorway of my classroom?" asked a cheerful voice. Trowa turned around and looked down. There stood the professor for the Charms course, the three foot tall dwarf, Linus Flitwick.  
  
Embarassed (that seemed to be happening to him alot today) Trowa slipped into the seat beside Justin, trying especially hard not to stare evilly at the boy his lover was currently chattering happily with.  
  
"Ahem, well," said the extremely short instructor. He moved to a high stack of books behind the podium and Trowa expected him to grab one and flip it open. That was not the case. Professor Flitwick climbed a stepping stool before stepping on te books themselves. They effectively gave him much needed height.  
  
"Welcome to my summer Charms course, students," Flitwick began. "This will mainly be a revision course, helping you prepare for your N.E.W.T.s. You will be learning old charms and practicing them daily, as well as take exams on the practical part of the subject." Flitwick brought out his wand and gave it a wave. "I sincerely hope all of you know what this is? Good. Now put them away. You won't be needing them today."  
  
Groans filled the room, the majority disappointed sighs. What else would you do in charms aside from casting? There was only one explanation. Bookwork.  
  
"Now, now, children, don't get your knickers in a twist," Flitwick said with a laugh. "We will only be going over a brief history of Charms. Please open your books to page 349." The Hufflepuffs did as they were told. "Now read quietly until class ends. There will be a small quiz on Wednesday, after which we will review the Levitation Charm. Carry on, then."  
  
Trowa looked down at his copy of Charmed, I'm Sure, one eyebrow raised. The page was filled to capacity with tiny, almost illegeble writing. Trowa noticed many saying a quick word under their breath and waving them at the book. After that, they leaned back in their chairs, closed their eyes, and relaxed.  
  
"Jon, what is everyone doing?" Quatre asked the Scottish boy. Jon smiled back at the blond.  
  
"Oh, their doing the Auditorius Spell. It's this spell that allows the book to read itself to you and only you can hear it. That way you can relax and not bother anyone else," he said. "Here, let me show you." Jon pulled out his wand, aimed it at his Charms book, and whispered, "Auditorius!" It seemed like nothing happened, but Jon smiled, indicating that the spell had worked. "You try it."  
  
Quatre obeyed, and soon had an awed look on his face. Trowa lifted his wand and pointed it at his textbook, whispering the required word. Suddenly his head filled with words. Surprisingly, they were almost inaudible, and very soothing, the perfect tone for which to absorb teaching. He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and allowed the words to wash over him.  
  
[...When one uses the word "charm" in everyday conversation, one is usually referring to a certain sense of social grace, a rare enchanting quality that makes some people more alluring and persuasive than others. But the term "charm," which derives from an old Latin word for "song" or "ritual utterance" (carmen), has many different meanings, most of which are totally unrelated to a person's appearance or social skills. In a world of witchcraft and sorcery, a charm is usually a phrase that is recited or written down to achieve a particular magical effect...]**  
  
And so the class went, with Trowa, Jon, Quatre and everyone else listening to their books as Professor Flitwick did Merlin knows what behind his desk.  
  
**Just wanted to inform you that the above passage, as well as any passage for any class hereafter, was taken from either The Sorcerer's Companion by Allan Zola Kronzek and Elizabeth Kronzek, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander, and Quidditch Through The Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp. Thank you.  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Draco and Duo left the Great Hall in good spirits, still laughing at a joke Millicent had told. "C-can you imagine? Stockings? Stockings?!" Draco cried, almost falling over in mirth. Duo joined him quick enough, and soon they were drawing stares. They entered the Entrance Hall and Duo stopped Draco.  
  
"Hol' on a minute, Dray. I wanna drop a note for this Physical Combat thingy," he said, snagging some stray parchment off the floor and digging in his robe pockets for a pen, Duo scribbled 'ninjitsu and street fighting', then tossed the scrap in the box.  
  
"Dray?" Draco questioned, raising one aristocratic eyebrow.  
  
Duo grinned. "Hey, gimme a break, ok? I've always wanted to call you that. It's kinda cute!" he said.  
  
"Cute?! I'll have you know that--" Draco began.  
  
"I know, I know," Duo interrupted. "The Malfoy family are never considered cute, even as a baby, because it is simply undignified. Yeah, whatever." Draco stared at him and opened his mouth, a question in his ice blue eyes. "How did I know that? Simple. People from my world spend a whole lotta time developin' your psyche, man. You're, like, the perfect subject or somethin'. I bet I know you better than you know yourself."  
  
Draco just stared at Duo as if he'd grown an extra head. "Now don't we have a class to go to? Divination, wasn't it?" Duo continued. He skipped along, and Draco was obliged to follow.  
  
They finally arrived on the 7th floor, curtesy of several moving staircases and a secret passage on the fourth floor Draco had known about. They entered the classroom, other Slytherins around them. Incense permeated the room in such large amounts one could see clouds of it floating by. Pansy, Blaise, Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle were already seated, Blaise and Millicent paired off, as well as the to hulks. Pansy sat alone, obviously waiting for Draco. In a corner a few seats behind Pansy sat Theodore Nott and Magdeline Greenlake (OC), an empty two-seater couch beside them.  
  
"Let's sit over there," Draco said, his lip curling at the sight of Pansy. Duo agreed and they made themselves comfortable beside Magdeline and Theodore. Draco nodded to the two Slytherins. "Greenlake. Nott."  
  
"Malfoy," said Theodore, nodding to Draco. He gestured to Duo. "Who's this?"  
  
"I had forgotten that you weren't at the Welcoming Feast, Nott. This is one of the foreigners, Duo Maxwell. Say hello, Duo," Draco drawled.  
  
"Hello Teddy. Maggie," Duo said, grinning to both. They looked taken aback. They were both used to people calling them by their last names, or atleast the entirety of their first names. This strange boy with the long braid, weird eyes and American accent had shocked them.  
  
"Teddy?" Nott whispered.  
  
"Maggie?" Magdeline whispered. Before either could say much else, a large glittery bug entered the room. Upon closer inspection the bug was revealed to be Sibyll Trelawney, the Divination Professor there at Hogwarts. She swept in and sat on her garishly sparkly cushion at the front of the room.  
  
"Good morning, class," she said, her voice low and supposedly mysterious. To Duo, it sounded more like she was about to croak. "Today is the start of the summer programme, and I believe that it would be well spent reviewing a few key points about Divination. I have brought my usual summer assistants for this class, as I have been training them specifically for this introduction. You may begin, Miss Patil, Miss Brown."  
  
Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil moved to the front of the Divination classroom from behind a curtain. Both wore garish colors and sparkled more than any human should.  
  
"Who will I marry?" Lavender asked the class.  
  
"How long will I live?" Parvati continued. "What's the winning number? Will this product sell?"  
  
"Will this plane crash? Will we win the war?" Lavender finished. "Everyone from lovestruck teenagers to world leaders wants to know what lies ahead. That's why divination--the art of foretelling the future--has existed in some form in every culture in recorded history."  
  
Lavender waved a hand and a screen appeared, showing various forms of divination. "Today one can find practitioners of the most popular forms of divination--astrology, tarot card reading, crystall-ball gazing, palm- reading, numerology, and tea-leaf reading-- in most any city," she said.  
  
"And those examples are only a tiny sample of hundreds of divinatory systems that have been developed over the centuries...  
  
~~~***~~~  
  
Wufei stopped at the box inside the Entrance Hall, leaving a parchment stating that he would assist with the physical aspect of Tai Chi (he knew that Quatre would cover meditation), before he continued on his way to his first class. According to his schedule, and the Ravenclaw beside him, Terry Boot, that class was Transfiguration, with the Deputy Headmistress from earlier, Minerva McGonagall.  
  
Also, according to the schedule, Gryffindor 6th years would also share this Transfiguration class with Ravenclaw. Meaning Wufei would most likely see Heero there at some point.  
  
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Terry asked, coming up beside Wufei. The oriental boy snorted.  
  
"My commanding officer," he said without thinking. Hogwarts seemed to do that to him, all of them. It made them talk before they thought. It was actually highly embarassing.  
  
"Commanding officer? What, do you foreign people play army or something?" the Ravenclaw asked, confusion marring his visage. Wufei grimaced, realizing his mistake.  
  
"Um, yes, something like that. It is a game we play in America. Currently, Heero Yuy is our commanding officer," Wufei quickly explained.  
  
A light seemed to go on in Terry's head. "Oh, I see. So this game overlaps real life?" he asked.  
  
"Occasionally," Wufei said, quickly tiring of the subject. He hurriedly racked his brain for something the Ravenclaw would be interested in. "Well, er, have you read Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles by Wilhelm Wigworthy?" he asked.  
  
Terry's eyes lit up. "Why yes! Quite a piece of literature, that is! It deals extensively with the muggle concept of electricity and how--"  
  
"Nihao ma," said a voice, cutting Terry off. Wufei woke from his Terry- induced stupor to glance up at the speaker. It was the girl he'd met at the feast, Suiren Zao Po of the Water Lily Clan. She was standing in front of the door to the Transfiguration classroom, which was one floor up from the Entrance Hall. Students flowed around her, and Wufei couldn't help but think she was just as beautiful as the first time he'd met her.  
  
"Nihao ma, Lady Po," he said respectfully, bowing to the waist, then rising slowly.  
  
Suiren laughed, and infectious sound. "You don't have to call me Lady, Mr.Chang," she said. "Unless you want me to call you Lord Chang all the time?"  
  
"I am used to it," Wufei said, unwittingly pompous. Suiren frowned.  
  
"Is that so? Well, I hope you find someone that doesn't mind calling you that, Mr.Chang. I have to be getting to class now. Good day." And she spun around and entered the Transfiguration classroom. Wufei frowned. What was wrong with her?  
  
"Smooth, Chang. Suiren Po is a sweet girl, with ideals about people that lean toward equality and all that. I believe you have just...what is that American term?...'pissed her off'. Yes, that is it," Terry said. "Also, I think she liked you right up until five seconds ago, so I would not give up on her, if I were you."  
  
"Give up on her? What do you--" Wufei began.  
  
"Chang," said a cold, flat voice.  
  
"Yuy," Wufei answered immediately, subconsciously straightening his tie and standing taller. Before him stood Heero, Harry beside him. "The usual?" At those words, Heero's eyes darted left and right, before coming back to rest on Wufei.  
  
"Hai," he said quietly. "Harry tells me that inside our Houses will most likely split up. I'll relay you information the usual way." Heero bowed quickly. "See you inside."  
  
"Understood," Wufei said, nodding at his 'commanding officer'. He waited until Heero and Harry passed through the doorway before following after, a slightly perplexed Terry trailing behind.  
  
"What was all that about?" Harry asked, sliding into his usual seat during Transfiguration. Heero sat beside him and put his elbows on the table, steepling his fingers before him.  
  
"Wufei and the others share a communication system through what we call 'the usual'. Truthfully, it is a series of hand gestures that convey a command or relevent information. For example, I could tell Wufei not to raise his hand, or if picked on, I could tell him the answer," Heero said, all in one breath. After his extensive monologue, he settled into the seat and closed his eyes.  
  
Harry said nothing for a few minutes, then tapped Heero lightly on the shoulder. The asian teen cracked one Prussian blue eye and glared at Harry. His look seemed to convey, 'what, maggot.'  
  
"Could you teach me this system?" Hogwart's Golden Boy asked. Heero momentarily looked surprised, then nodded. According to Dumbledore, the Gundam pilots had been brought to Hogwarts to assist Harry Potter in defeating the Dark Lord. Since that was the case, it would make sense to train Harry and perhaps Malfoy in all the various aspects of guerrilla warfare. In exchange, Harry and Malfoy could teach them more advanced spells, hexes and charms. Which meant that their original plan to have seperate tutors was shot. Not a problem.  
  
"If I am to teach you this, in exchange you must teach the others and I advanced magic," Heero said.  
  
Harry nodded. "No problem. Hermione and a few others can--"  
  
"No. No others. Just you, us, and Malfoy." Heero gave Harry one cold, decisive look, then turned in his seat and moved his fingers rapidly for Wufei to see. Normally he'd be more discreet, but Professor McGonagall hadn't arrived yet and he wanted to make the message perfectly clear. After a moment Wufei nodded and rapidly 'talked' back. Heero nodded and turned around.  
  
"What'd he say?" Harry asked, curious.  
  
"He said that this is a good idea, but first we must test the honor of both you and Malfoy," Heero answered.  
  
"Um, meaning?" Harry asked.  
  
"Roughly, we do not trust you at all. Insufficient information." Before Heero could say more, Professor McGonagall entered the classroom. (A/N: Really quick, I wanna apologize for Heero's OOCness. I can't seem to get him back into character, so bear with me and I'll just chalk it up to post- Relena syndrome. Arigato! ^_^) The Professor immediately moved to the front of the room and began talking.  
  
"First things first, this is a Transfiguration class. Not a Potions class, not a Herbology class, and definitely not a flying class. Therefore, if I catch any of you doing homework for another class, you will become well acquianted with Filch," she said.  
  
"Filch?" Heero said.  
  
"It's the Caretaker of Hogwarts. He lives in the dungeon and has a torture fetish a mile wide. If you get detention with him, there's a high chance you'll be traumatized for life," Harry answered solemnly. Heero nodded and turned back to the professor.  
  
"Secondly, since this is a review course, I expect excellent results from everyone. The only exception are the foreign students. They do not know our ways. But YOU do. So no slacking off or you will receive three feet of homework every night until I deem you up to par. With that said, let us begin. Open you books to page 143 and begin readingm quietly. No spell, mind." And Professor McGonagall settled into her desk and began to grade N.E.W.T.s from the previous school year.  
  
Wufei pulled out his copy of A Guide To Transfiguration Used By People With Five Years Of Subjection to Transfiguration Classes Under Their Belt by Emeric Switch Jr., and turned to the appropriate page. He read quickly, almost too fast for a normal person to keep up.  
  
[...Transfiguration--the magical changing of a person, animal, or object into the form of another--is a complex and dangerous subject requiring years of study. But novices must begin with much less challenging assignments, like turning buttons into beetles...]  
  
What in the hell is the point of that? Turning buttons into beetles, Wufei thought, staring down at the book in astonishment. His scholarly side reared up, and he immediately began reading again.  
  
[...Tales of transfiguration (from the Latin trans, meaning "across," and figura, meaning "shape") are found in myths, fairy tales, and folklore from around the world. Cinderella's fairy godmother transfigures a pumpkin into a coach and mice into horses. In classic tales such as "The Frog Prince" and "Beauty and the Beast," handsome young men become croaking reptiles or repulsive ogres. The Greek witch Circe turns her front lawn into a virtual petting zoo by changing her visitors into tame lions, bears, and wolves (her less fortunate guests end up in the pigsty)...]  
  
Something naggled at Wufei until he finally raised his hand. Professor McGonagall looked at him, her face pinched in slight annoyance. She'd really been getting into marking down the Slytherins. "Yes, Mr. Chang?"  
  
"Was Circe real?" he asked. After a moment he realized just how juvenile his question sounded, and that was reinforced by the look Heero threw him, but Wufei was really beginning to love this world, with its myths and legends. His scholar's heart was finally being allowed to bloom.  
  
"Why, of course, Mr.Chang! What ever have they been telling you in America?" the professor answered, a look of complete surprise on her face. "Madam Circe is indeed real, young Mr.Chang. As is many other supposedly mythological deities. Do a bit of research, if you will."  
  
"Yes, Professor," Wufei said, a truly excited look on his face. As he turned back to his book, and errant thought ran through his head. Maybe this world wasn't as bad as he'd originally thought.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC***  
  
A/N: Alright, this part is finally done. I plan to finish morning class in the next chapter, and I want to know if any of you are still curious about the guardians. As you prolly noticed, I've forgotten about them, and I want to devote and entire chapter to them. Just post your answers and I'll be working on it. I promise not to take half as long as usual with the chapers, okay?  
  
P.S. I'll be starting another GW fic called "Worshippers of Shi". Here is a teaser. Tell me what you think.  
  
The doors to Kaatori Academy flew open and five boys stepped through. Their presence dominated the halls and proceeding corridor, reaching the teens in the classrooms behind each door. Soon each door was open and a class of teenagers were peeking through them at the five boys. Most immediately gasped while a few sighed.  
  
Standing at the front, looking like he owned the building he had just entered, stood a boy with tanned skin, softly slanted blue eyes, and a messy mop of chocolate brown hair. He wore a loose black tank top, revealing his wiry muscles and thin arms. His legs were encased in skin tight black jeans.  
  
Beside him, but a little behind stood a slightly shorter boy with a long rope of chestnut hair flowing down his back. Wide cobalt blue eyes looked out of a solemn face that gave the impression of a high capacity for humor. Pale skin graced his pixie-like face, giving away a fragile beauty instead of a rugged handsomeness like his companion. Dressed from head to toe in black leather, the boy wore a black shirt that zipped to his throat, a black mini leather jacket, and black leather shorts with silver chains running from one pocket to another.  
  
To the first guy's left stood a tall boy with a strange hairstyle. A shock of his honey brown hair fell down his forehead, obscuring one eye. The other eye was a bright leaf green, accentuating his European toned skin and handsome face perfectly. He wore a black cashmere turtleneck and a black vest over that. His legs were poured into tight black jeans like.  
  
Behind this walking wet dream was the very image of a fallen angel. Breaking the repetition of black slightly, this boy wore a black dress shirt, grey vest and tie, and gray Doc Marten slacks. Shorter still than the second boy, this boy had feathery blond hair cut short and boyishly, and aquamarine eyes that gleamed with something much more innocent than the other boys. Though his skin was pale, his Arabian heritage was evident by the gold rings on his fingers. An aura of kindness and calm surrounded him.  
  
Lastly, surrounded by a cloud of displeasure, stood a boy of obvious oriental descent. To the right of the blond, this boy had shoulder length black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, and onyx eyes so dark they were almost black. A tight black gi enveloped his lean form, molding to almost feminine curves. A black belt cinched it at the waist, the only break being the white cuffs and collar.  
  
All five boys regarded the school with no small amount of disgust. It was evident they'd seen either better, or just plain didn't like the atmosphere.  
  
Ja ne, minna! *wink* Love!!! 


	13. The Guardians and The Past, Part 1

Part Twelve: The Guardians and The Past, Part One  
  
The hour bell rang and Heero packed up his things. Beside him, Harry was doing the same and listening to what Heero had to say eagerly. He knew, from what Heero had told him earlier, that this was more talking than he'd done in a long time.  
  
"..and if this supposed Prophecy that Mr.Dumbledore told us about is true, you and Draco will require extensive training. I don't know how much time we have, but I have to fit more than five years of knowledge in the fields of physical combat, computer technology and guerilla warfare in to both of you somehow. These new combat classes with Lupin-sensei will help, but I think that..." Heero continued, closing his school satchel and slinging the strap over his head to rest on his shoulder.  
  
By the time Heero was done, he had an entire schedule planned out for all of them, starting at the end of the day and continuing indefinitely until Voldemort's return. Heero drew a breath. "So, what is our next class?" he said.  
  
Harry grinned. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts. I wonder how this teacher will be? We've gone through six since I started school. Some say the DADA post is cursed, but I think its merely coincidence, because three years ago..." and Harry rambled on about the old Professor Remus Lupin, of apparent relationship to Romulus Lupin, and when he was done they stood in front of their next class. "Hey, how'd we get here so fast?" he asked, confused.  
  
"We walked," Heero said. "I followed the stream of Gryffindors."  
  
"Oh, okay," Harry said. "Well, let's get in there. If I remember right, we have all have a free period next, so maybe we can talk more before lunch." Harry led the way into the DADA classroom and plopped into his usual seat in the front. Heero slid into the seat beside him, immediately searching through his bag for his Defense book. A moment later, Hermione entered with Parvati Patil and they slipped into the seats directly behind the two boys.  
  
"Hi, Harry, Heero. How was your first class?" Hermione immediately shot off, her book already pulled out and open. Harry rolled his eyes but answered, also taking out his book.  
  
"McGonagall is still as relentless as ever. She made us read up on the History of Transfiguration and she wouldn't even let us use the Auditorius spell!" Harry basically whined. He wanted sympathy from Hermione, and he usually got it. Well, not today.  
  
"Stop being such a baby, Harry. I'm sure every once in a while you can read the book for a change. It has been proven that reading the words yourself instead of hearing them allows for a larger chance of the material sinking in and become part of your cerebral processes. In fact, I have a report on that somewhere..." Hermione began. Parvati, Harry and Heero stared at her. Evetually, Parvati broke out of the stupor and turned to Heero.  
  
"How did you like it, Heero," she said softly, like she was afraid he would hurt her like he'd hurt her boyfriend, Ron. Her eyes apologized for Ron's behavior where her boyfriend could not. Surprisingly, Heero took the initiative and calmed her. He gave her a small but genuine smile.  
  
"I liked it. Considering that I know all there is to know in any Muggle school on the Earth Sphere, it is refreshing to learn something new for a change. I fear it will not be the same with Duo, though," he said.  
  
"What won't be the same with me?" asked a jovial voice to the side. All four teens looked up in surprise to see Duo, Draco and Blaise standing in front of them (they were turned around talking to the girls). "Well?"  
  
"Heero was just saying that it was refreshing to learn something new for a change. But since you yourself know so much about the magical world already, you probably won't learn anything," Harry said, already noting the fact that Heero withdrew into himself.  
  
"Ya think so, Hee-chan? I dunno, I think someone might be able to teach me something here," Duo said, looking thoughtful (and very good in his close- fitting Slyth robes *wink wink*). "So I guess you like it here then, huh, Hee-babe?"  
  
"Hn," Heero said, folding his arms and sitting rigidly in his seat.  
  
"Really? That's cool. That too? Wow, Hee-chan, I can't wait to see you in this class. Did you? Wow," Duo said cheekily, drawing his own conclusions of what Heero really could have answered. The Hogwarts students watched curiously as a very light blush rose on Heero's cheeks.  
  
"Baka," the Japanese boy said, then attempted look more relaxed and actually answered Duo. "Yes, I enjoyed Transfiguration, though all we did was read. Happy, baka?"  
  
"Extremely," Duo said, grinning. He slipped into the seat beside Heero. "This seat taken, angel face?"  
  
Heero's blush darkened and the others stared. Angel face? "Baka, don't call me that!" Heero snapped, actually unwrapping his arms and holding one hand to one burning cheek. (A/N: OOC Heero, I know. If you have a problem with this, too bad! It's my fic! MWAHAHAHAHA!!! *cough* ^_^;)  
  
"Sorry, babe, but you signed up for a nickname when you made friends with me," Duo said, laughing. Before he could say anymore, the Japanese man from the Welcoming Feast, entered the room. He had black hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail that reached about midwaist, and clear black eyes. Eyes that were currently looking at them all in a kind of muted disdain. The look passed and the cheerful man from the feast returned.  
  
"Good morning, class. As I'm sure you recall, my name is Mucha Yukan. You may call me Professor Yukan or just Y. I will be teaching you the basics and a bit more of the average Defense Against the Dark Arts class," he said. Then his black eyes latched onto Harry and narrowed slightly. "And yet I here stories of last year being much less than desired, with Delores Umbridge coming in from the Ministry and putting a damper on your studies. But a Mr. Harry Potter fixed that problem right up, ne?"  
  
Harry blushed, but also watched Yukan closely. It could be just his paranoid self, but the new Professor seemed to hate him at some level or other. Harry promised himself to ask Hermione later about the subject. "Um, yes, Professor Yukan. I taught a small group of students what I could until Umbridge could be removed," he said.  
  
"Is that so...," Yukan muttered, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hm, well that is neither here nor there. Today we will be talking of Defense and only Defense. Have you got your books opened? Good, go to page...." And Professor Yukan continued the lesson.  
  
***  
  
Wufei entered the Potions classroom with no little amount of anticipation. Was this class to be like Transfiguration, with an obliging teacher and riveting facts? Too excited to contain himself, Wufei arrived to the dungeon classroom a full five minutes early, and almost choked at the sight that met him. It was Professor Snape, the rude, greasy man that had taken them to Diagon Alley earlier.  
  
Not one to judge too quickly, unless it came to women anyway, Wufei decided to give the somewhat sinister professor the benefit of the doubt. If he liked his class, then so be it. Decided, Wufei slipped into a seat in the third row, near the end, and placed his bag beside his desk. Pulling out his Potions textbook, labeled Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger, Wufei began to read.  
  
A few minutes later, other students began to filter in, some wearing different crests than the raven his own House sported. From the badger symbol Wufei guessed it was Hufflepuff, then remembered that Ravenclaw had what was called Double Potions today with the Hufflepuffs. Wufei was sure to see Trowa and Quatre now.  
  
"Wufei!" came a high male voice. Speak of the angel, it was Quatre. The small blond boy hurried over to his Chinese friend, looking adorable every time he almost tripped on the hem of his robes. Trowa came behind him, walking sedately and looking serene. Quatre sat beside Wufei, a soft smile on his glowing cherubic face. Trowa sat behind his blond lover, the better to see him if anything happened.  
  
"Hello Wufei. Anything new?" Trowa asked in his usual quiet way.  
  
"Transfiguration is such a great class! Did you know that Circe, and many of the mythological creatures we've been taught about are real!? I mean, I knew there had to be some fact to that but..." Wufei began excitedly, waving his hands for emphasis. When he realised he was exclaiming and other things he never did, he abruptly stopped, a blush blooming slowly on his face. Quatre giggled and Trowa sent him a slow smile.  
  
"Looks like this world agrees with you, Wufei," Quatre said slyly. "I knew you'd like it." Wufei just coughed in embarassment and turned to the front of the class.  
  
"I've been wondering..." Trowa began. Both Quatre and Wufei turned to him quickly. It isn't every day that Trowa speaks. Sometimes the green-eyed boy went weeks without saying a word. "Remember those guardians we acquired at the wandshop?" Both of the other pilots nodded. "Haven't you noticed that they haven't been around in a long time?"  
  
Wufei looked surprised, then slightly annoyed. "Actually, yes. I'm not one to forget things like that so easily, but I've been so caught up in this world that I completely forgot." And you'd think you'd remember a firedrake, ne? Actually, the thought made Wufei uneasy that this world so caught them they'd forgotten something as important as the guardians.  
  
"It worries me, Wufei. As Heero would say, we are out of practice and may need some retraining. I say before lunch we look for them," Quatre said. "We have a free period next It's around 10am now. At 11am we get out of here, then have an hour free before lunch. We can go to the Room of Requirement."  
  
"...?" Trowa asked.  
  
"The Room of Requirement. It's this room on the 7th floor that stays hidden until you need it. Once you enter, whatever you require of the room at the moment shall be done," the blond explained. "For example, if you require a soft fluffy bed because you are tired, whips and chains for a little torture, gags and ropes for some playtime, handcuf--"  
  
"Mr.Winner, I suggest you keep your sick pleasures to yourself while a class is in session," said a cold, amused voice. The three pilots turned slowly and carefully to see Professor Severus Snape hanging ominously over them, a sinister smile on his face. "10 points each from both your Houses for disrupting my class." A protest immediately rose all around them. "I'll make it 50 if the lot of you don't shut it!" Seeing as the Potions Master was unhappy, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs did just that.  
  
"Now that we have the fantasies of Mr.Winner out of the way..." At this Wufei and Trowa glared while Quatre blushed pink. "..we may actually begin what we came here for. As I'm sure most of you know, I am Professor Severus Snape. You are not to say my first name under any circumstances. We are not friends, and since you are not in either Slytherin, or are far advanced in age, we shall never be such. Therefore, I do not expect you to like me. I tell you freely that I do not like you and never will. So, please do not waste breath or emotions hating me. It is a lost cause, as I'm sure Mr. Potter has told you.  
  
"Now, to the subject at hand. I will be reinstructing you in the area of magical drafts and potions, as you may have concluded from your textbooks. As I said in my speech during your first year, I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper on death. But, I will not. Hogwarts students over the years have proven much too incompetent to handle such a thing as death bottled. I also strongly believe that giving you a potion to brew now, N.E.W.T. level, of course, would be disastrous, and cause you to lose many House points." Here Snape almost smiled. "I leave that to my class with the Gryffindors. Now, since you are obviously not brewing a potion this morn, allow me to take a page out of other professor's books. Turn to page 11 and start reading up on the Forgetfulness Potion. We will be brewing it on the morrow. You may begin."  
  
His riveting speech, though morbid, finished, Snape turned in a swirl of inky black robes and entered his office. The door shut with a resounding slam. Talk began immediately. The door slammed open again and Snape stuck his greasy head out. "And absolutely NO talking!" The stunned students shut up, and the door slammed once again.  
  
"That man...is creepy," Wufei said decisively. Quatre and Trowa laughed quietly. They didn't want to see Vengeful!Snape anytime soon. Their mirth past, the three settled down to do as Snape commanded and read the text.  
  
***  
  
(A/N: Okay, this is the schedule for all the 6th year Hogwarts Houses for the summer programme, just so you guys can know what to expect. Also, I happen to like dictating classes and awful lot, so expect to learn a lot about the different subjects during the duration of this story. But I know I've been slacking on the plot and I plan to develope in during the next few chapters. Also, the time will go faster. Anyway, here it is:  
  
(Each class is one hour, except for 4th hour, which is 2hrs and 5th hr, which is 3.)  
  
Gryffindor: Mon/Weds: Double Transfiguration (w/ Ravens), Double DADA (w/ Slyths), Free Period, Lunch, Double Potions (w/ Slyths), Extra Class (E/C), Dinner, Bed Tues/Thurs: Double Care of Magical Creatures (w/Huffs), Double Hist. of Mag (w/Slyths), Free Period, Lunch, Double Charms (w/Ravens), E/C, Dinner, Bed Friday: Arithmancy (Free for all - FFA), Divination, Free Period (FP), Lunch, Double Herbology (w/Huffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed  
  
Heero's E/C classes, in order according to days: M/W: Runes, T/Th: Dragons, F: Astrology  
  
Head of House: McGonagall Prefects: Hermione Granger  
Ronald Weasley  
Dean Thomas  
Parvati Patil  
Guimera Paltron(OC)  
  
Hufflepuff: Mon/Weds: Charms, Double Potions (w/Ravens), FP, Lunch, Double DADA (w/Ravens), E/C, Dinner, Bed Tues/Thurs: Double CoM (w/Gryffs), Divination, FP, Lunch, Double Transfig. (w/Slyths), E/C, Dinner, Bed Friday: Forbidden Forest Study (FFA), Double Hist. of Mag. (w/Ravens), FP, Lunch, Double Herbology (w/Gryffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed  
  
Trowa's E/Cs: Runes, Dragons, Alchemy (the study of magic's beginning ^_^) Quatre's E/Cs: Runes, Dragons, Wandless Arts  
  
Head of House: Sprout Prefects: Susan Bones  
Sandra Hardaway (OC)  
Rellina Pemberton-Dorci  
Ephraim Clements (OC)  
Michael Williams (OC)  
  
Ravenclaw: Mon/Weds: Double Transfig. (w/Gryffs), Double Potions (w/Huffs), FP, Lunch, Double DADA (w/Huffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed Tues/Thurs: Double Herbology (w/Slyths), Double Divination (w/Huffs), FP, Lunch, Double Charms, (w/Gryffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed Friday: Muggle Studies (FFA), Double Hist. of Mag (w/Huffs), FP, Lunch, Double CoM (w/Slyths), E/C, Dinner, Bed  
  
Wufei's E/Cs: Runes, Dragons, Alchemy  
  
Head of House: Flitwick Prefects: Terry Boot  
Lisa Turpin  
Melanie Easter (OC) (!!!DO NOT STEAL THIS NAME!!!)  
Suiren Zao Po  
Constance Lonestar (OC) Head Girl: Gladys Micheals  
  
Slytherin: Mon/Weds: Divination, Double DADA (w/Gryffs), FP, Lunch, Double Potions (w/Gryffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed Tues/Thurs: Double Herbology (w/Ravens), Double Hist.of Mag (w/Gryffs), FP, Lunch, Double Transfig. (w/Huffs), E/C, Dinner, Bed Friday: Arithmancy (FFA), Charms, FP, Lunch, Double CoM (w/Ravens), E/C, Dinner, Bed  
  
Duo's E/Cs: Runes, Dragons, Wandless Arts  
  
Head of House: Snape Prefects: Marcus Gilmore (OC)  
Stacey Doerner (OC)  
Draco Malfoy  
Blaise Zabini  
Pansy Parkinson Head Boy: Diego Donehue (OC)  
  
And there you have it, kinda long and detailed, but I just wanted you to know what to expect. Also, Melanie Easter is a character I plan on using many more times, so do not use her name, but you are free to use any of the other OCs. ^_^ On with the story!)  
  
***  
  
Time seemed to fly for the Gundam pilots, and soon it was time for their one hour free period. Heero, Harry, Duo, Draco, Hermione and Blaise left the DADA classroom together, planning on heading to the Entrance Hall to see if they could meet up with the others. It turned out Harry's instinct was right, and Wufei, Quatre and Trowa soon rounded a corner and approached them. They were talking animatedly about something, and Wufei was actually waving his arms.  
  
"Ohayo!" Duo said, grinning and waving at the three. Quatre smiled and waved back.  
  
"Ohayo, Duo. What are you guys doing here?" he asked.  
  
"Waiting for you," the braided boy answered. "How was your classes."  
  
"I like them. Especially Charms. There are some nice people in Hufflepuff," Quatre said happily. The others noticed the stiffening in Trowa's posture and cringed. Quatre's friendliness seemed a lot more friendly to Trowa than most, and the blond cherub didn't seem to realize that.  
  
"We also had Potions, with Professor Snape. He is a hard man. I firmly believe he needs some kind of relaxant before he burns himself out with an overdose of malice," Wufei said informationally.  
  
"Well, all you really have to do is brew the relaxant, and keep Harry here away from the Professor for awhile, and that just might work. Professor Snape's hatred for Harry is what triggers so much tension, so a lack of the antagonist might just do it," Hermione answered likewise. Both teens' eyes gleamed and they moved into a corner to conspire as only scholars can.  
  
"About Potions class," Trowa said. "I brought up the subject of the guardians we had acquired during our Wand Choosing. Haven't you wondered where they are?"  
  
"I know where Kokatsu is," Heero said, in his usual flat voice. "He's been living with Peeves for the last two days causing mischief. I can call him, if needed."  
  
"It's needed, Heero. We need to discuss their origins and what they have to do with us. If you can, tell Kokatsu to meet us in the Room of Requirement on the 7th floor," Trowa continued. Heero nodded and turned away from them.  
  
(A/N: ^blah^ denotes Chinese. {blah} denotes Japanese.)  
  
{Kokatsu. You are needed.}  
  
{For what? I'm kinda busy here, Master.}  
  
{We have much to discuss, brother of demons}  
  
{Yeah, I suppose we do. Where?}  
  
{The Room of Requirement, now. Ask Peeves for the location.}  
  
{Okay, sure. See ya there, Master.}  
  
{Understood.}  
  
"Wow, Hee-chan, rapid fire conversation, ne? So, from what I could get from all the jibberish and the disembodied voice in the hall that was Kokatsu, he'll be there?" Duo said, pulling his braid over his shoulder and wrapping it around his hand. He didn't notice Heero's eyes following the heavy silken object almost obsessively.  
  
"Hai. Kokatsu will be there," he said. "I believe Wufei may do the same as me, simply call out your guardians name and he or she will either come to you or answer. Make sure you do so in their native language."  
  
"Understood," said Wufei. ^Noble Akha-banakh?^  
  
^Master Wufei?^  
  
^You are requested to be in the Room of Requirement now, O noble one^  
  
^Of course, Master. This One shall see Master there.^ (A/N: Note, I decided to make Akha a bit more like this dragon I read about long ago that referred to himself as This One. I think it makes him more mysterious. Whoever created that, sorry for using it.)  
  
"Akha-banakh will also be there," Wufei said.  
  
"Good. That only leaves Alecea Greenleaf, and my own guardian, Kiaarah," Trowa said.  
  
~I am right here, Master~ said a rumbling female voice. Trowa turned around, unable to locate the voice. ~Look up, young Beast Master~ Trowa obeyed, and say a now full-sized Kiaarah flapping her wings gently as she kept herself aloft just above them. ~I heard you, Master. I will meet you at this room you speak of, if Master desires it.~  
  
"I do, Kiaarah," Trowa said. He had already given up telling her not to talk to him as such a lord, but he could tell she was set in her ways and would not change. The gryphon bowed from her place in the air, then flew away up the stairs of the Entrance Hall and disappeared. Trowa turned to Duo and Quatre. "Now you guys. Quatre, you go first."  
  
"Alright," said Quatre. "I read in a book somewhere that faeries are attracted by beautiful music by a pure heart. Everyone's always saying I have a heart of gold so..." Quatre blushed.  
  
"Go one, little one. You can do it," Trowa said reassuringly, putting an arm around the blond's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, Q! You have a wicked good singin' voice," Duo pitched in. Quatre smiled tremulously, then opened his mouth...and sang.  
  
It was like nothing they'd heard before. Instead of words, a soft, clear note left the blond's mouth, melodious and strong. Sevral notes followed, 'til Quatre was singing his heart out to a song they'd never heard. It made them think of leaves, grass, sunshine and happiness. It was magic woven into song. Hermione and Blaise looked especially spellbound.  
  
After several moments of this pure singing, the Entrance Hall door out to the Hogwarts grounds opened and a small form flitted in, the door slamming shut. It was Alecea Greenleaf. She had a dazed, dreamy look on her small face, and floated slowly toward Quatre, her mouth whispering the words to the song only she and Quatre knew.  
  
"Fuin Fanyar Faina Haraan Heri Isil," Alecea whispered. She landed on Quatre's shoulder and hugged his neck for balance. "It means 'Dark clouds radiationg rays of light guard Lady Moon.' It's and old elvish prayer for safe passage. How did you know it, Heru?"  
  
Quatre flushed and smiled softly. "I don't know how I knew it. It just seemed like a good time to sing it," he said. Then his brow creased with confusion. "Heru?"  
  
"Lord in elvish, as you are, Heru," Alecea said with a smile. "Did you need me for something that you needed to sing to me to get me to come? Most know faeries are sensitive to beautiful, pure singing. It was a little extreme."  
  
"I apologize, Alecea, but I need you to meet us in the Room of Requirement. It is of the utmost importance," Quatre said. Alecea nodded, curtsied, then disappeared with a small pop. "Well, I'm done. How about you, Duo?"  
  
The group looked curiously at Duo, and Harry said something that had been nagging him. "You know, we never learned the name of your dark pixie," he said thoughtfully.  
  
Duo frowned, then nodded. "You're right. So how am I supposed to call someone I don't know?"  
  
"Just try to feel his presence and call him to you," Draco said matter-of- factly. Everyone turned to him. "What? My family has pixie blood, especialy dark. It's how they keep tabs on each other, by their magical energy. Go on, try it."  
  
Nodding, Duo focused on the picture of his pixie he had in his head, then concentrated. Soon, he thought he felt a glimmer of a presence at the back of his mind. He pulled at it until it came to the forefront, and he was greeted with a image of his pixie. Seeing the manic grin of his guardian, Duo did what Draco suggested, and Called (caps intended).  
  
"What is it you require, wizard," the pixie spat.  
  
"Whoa, there, little pixie dude, don't snap at me. I didn't do anything," Duo exclaimed, confused.  
  
"Nothing, hm? What about the fact that I was dragged from my home, where I was having a great time by the way, and forced into becoming your Guardian by Dumbledore? What about that, wizard?"  
  
"Look pixie, I'm sorry for whatever it is you blame me for, but you yourself said it was Dumbledore who did it. I definitely don't want any trouble. Heero would kill me," Duo answered back.  
  
The pixie looked thoughtful, it's blue eyes swirling. Then it grinned. "Heero, you say? The boy who takes up most of your mind?"  
  
Duo choked, surprised that the pixie knew this. "How did you--"  
  
"Simple. You Called me, I heard, and now our minds are connected. Interesting stuff you have in here, Shinigami," the pixie said with a smirk. "You know, it might just be worthwhile being your Guardian. I want to understand you." The pixie bowed. "Ilfirin at your service." And suddenly the image of the pixie winked out.  
  
A weird lethargy fell over Duo's mind and he felt like he was floating, as if he had bat like wings much like his guardians. The cries of his companions barely registered as Duo felt himself begin to spin. Abruptly the feeling of floating changed to a feeling of being buoyed up by something. Duo opened eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed... and met Prussian blue eyes that were so close they filled his vision. Duo freaked.  
  
"AHHHHHH!" he yelled, struggling. Surprised arms dropped him and he hit the carpeted ground with a thud. With a groan of pain, Duo sat up and looked around him. Heero stood directly in front of him, suggesting that he was the one who had been holding him. Quatre was on Heero's left, looking concerned, Trowa beside him. Wufei was on Heero's right, leaning against a stone wall. Behind them, Harry, Draco, Hermione and Blaise looked anxious.  
  
"Duo, are you okay?" Quatre said, aquamarine eyes wide with worry.  
  
"Yeah, Q-bean. Don't worry about me. Don't we have a Room of Requirement to be in?" the braided boy asked, leaping up agilely and shaking his muscles loose. "Let's go. Free period already started." Actually nodding at Duo's suggestion (Quatre still watched him worriedly), the boys headed for the Slytherin dungeons, and from there, the secret passage that would transport them to the sixth floor.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC*** 


	14. The Guardians and The Past, Part 2:The D...

Hey, luvs. Sorry about the long wait, but all the computer I used for uploads was down, and I couldn't get anything up for you. Gomen. There wil be another chapter up in a few days to make up for this too, and maybe even the get together of Draco and Harry. Forgive me, luvs.   
  
Miaka  
  
The Guardians and The Past, Part Two,  
  
The Doors  
  
The group of pilots reached the seventh floor without much incident (the Hogwarts students went to the library to study), and Duo led them to a deserted corridor. Quatre told him all about the episode downstairs. Apparently Duo had gone into a sort of trance while he was calling for his pixie, and he began glowing, then rose up into the air. Black wings had burst from his body, and a life sized form of Ilfirin had sort of torn itself from Duo. As soon as Ilfirin was free, Duo lost the wings and fell from the air. And into Heero's arms. Duo regreted not being conscious for that part.  
  
Wufei looked up and down the corridor, seeing no portal to lead them to this Room of Requirement they were meant to go to. "Well, Maxwell, where is it?" he demanded, leaning against a wall and folding his arms. Duo grinned and walked up to Wufei. He paced in front of the Chinese pilot, back and forth three times, then closed his eyes, a crease forming on his forehead as if he was thinking really hard. A moment later, the other pilots gasped, Wufei completely oblivious. He looked confused as the others stared at something behind him. "What?" he snapped.  
  
"Behind you, Wuffie," Duo said, smirking. Wufei turned around, and gasped. There, where he had been standing, where the wall had been clear, was a tall mohagony door with a golden handle. In small embossed letters it said: The Roome of the Requireth, Entere if thee requireth something. Bad, old English grammar, but still a kick ass room.  
  
"Wha..when..." Wufei stuttered.  
  
"Allow me to explain," Duo said, moving in front of the small group. "This is the Room of Requirement. To open it, you must come to the east corridor of the seventh floor, walk back and forth three times, and wish really hard for the thing you want. In response, the school's magic will provide this room for your use. Please do not pass this information around, because not many know of this room." Duo gestured toward the door. "Now let's get this show on the road."  
  
The other pilots nodded, Heero grunting noncommitically, and entered the room. Another round of gasps were heard when they viewed what was inside. It was like a paradise, the perfect place to relax and reflect. Tall green grass spread as far as the eye could see, a clear blue stream flowing through it in the same way. Directly in front of the pilots was a hill, covered with sparse but beautiful flowers, and five rocks. Around these rocks were the Guardians.  
  
Kiaarah lay in the center, her majestic golden brown wings spread out around her. On her back sat Kokatsu, full sized and grinning. Fluttering around the two was Alecea Greenleaf, who let out a cry of delight upon seeing Quatre. Akha-banakh lay near a blue rock, ignoring them all. And finally, Ilfirin, the mischievous dark pixie, hopped from rock to rock, stumbling and righting himself every few leaps. He stopped on the green rock and winked at Duo.  
  
"Heru!!" Alecea cried in her high, squeaky voice. The little faery flitted up to them and landed on Quatre's shoulder. She tugged on his golden hair, trying to drag him to where the other Guardians were. "Come on! We're all here." Obeying, Quatre and the other's headed for the circle of stones and their guardians. Kokatsu backflipped off of Kiaarah and landed in front of Heero, immediately chattering something in Japanese. Heero responded, and the two sat on a patch of grass.  
  
"What'd he say, Hee-chan?" Duo asked, heading over to them. Though all the pilots knew a bit of Japanese, there were times when Heero talked too fast even for them. And Heero didn't make any effort to slow it down for them. He was still kind of miffed about the fact that they could now understand his insults.  
  
"Ko said that we took a hell of a long time and he was growing mold just waiting for us," Heero answered. "He also made a derogatory comment about your braid."  
  
"What?! Why that little..." Duo began.  
  
"I told him that your braid was impractical, but in no way ugly," Heero interrupted. Duo was about to continue ranting, when what Heero said finally registered.  
  
"Heero..." he whispered, staring at Wing's pilot as if he'd lost it, and at the same time as if he'd hung the moon. Heero just grunted and went back to ignoring Duo. Unbeknowest to the braided boy, a mini-sized Kappa resided beside Heero's ear. Ko had shrunk down when Duo wasn't paying attention, and now sat in Heero's hair.  
  
{Tol' ya it would work, Master} Kokatsu said, laughing.  
  
{Hn} Heero responded.  
  
{All that boy needs is a lil' love an' affection, Boss man. Ya give it ta him, and he'll never leave you. Remember that.} Kokatsu jumped out of Heero's hair and scurried away.  
  
Kiaarah approached Trowa and bowed to him. ~Welcome, young Beast Master. We are honoured that you have come~  
  
"It is no trouble, Kiaarah. We only wished to hear the reason you have been chosen as guardians for us, and maybe what you know of our families in this time," Trowa said.  
  
"If it isn't too much trouble," Quatre said, coming to stand beside Trowa.  
  
"No trouble, Heru," Alecea squeaked. "We are here to help you adapt, and protect you. If divulging your pasts will assist in this, then we'll do it."  
  
^And it is Guardians, with a capital 'G'. We might be your servants, but we are not common magical creatures^ Akha added.  
  
"What'd he say?" Duo asked from his place beside Heero.  
  
"Akha says that the word 'guardians' is capitalized," Wufei translated. He looked at Akha. ^No disrespect, Noble One^  
  
^This One takes none, Master^ Both nodded to each other, then turned back to the group.  
  
"So, is there a special process to this, or do we jump right in?" Duo asked. "Are we supposed to chant or something?"  
  
"No, Shinigami, this is not a pagan ritual," Ilfirin piped up. "You simply sit on one of these five rocks, the correct one, mind, and let the rest take its course."  
  
"Sit on a rock, eh?" Duo wondered. All five pilots got up and moved toward the rocks. They chose them at random, and sat down. A split second later they all lay flat on their backs with their Guardians looking down on them in amusement. Duo had been thrown from the blue rock, Trowa from the black, green with Wufei, white with Heero and red with Quatre.  
  
{Beep! Wrong! Please choose again} Ko said, laughing.  
  
"What--" Duo began.  
  
"He said try again, Maxwell. By Nataku, you're taking language lessons before the day is out!" Wufei snapped mildly. Duo shrugged and turned back to the rocks.  
  
"Choose wisely, Shinigami. See with your heart and your past, not your eyes," Ilfirin suggested.  
  
"My heart and past, not eyes," Duo mumbled. "Hm." He carefully examined each rock, then stepped toward the white one. The other pilots stared at him in surprise, sure he would go toward the black one. He grinned sheepishly at them and turned to Ilfirin. "This right?"  
  
"Only one way to find out," the dark pixie said, blue eyes swirling. Duo shrugged and sat on the white rock. Nothing happened and Ilfirin grinned. No one noticed Heero's sigh of relief. "Now tell us why you chose the white rock when your eyes chose the black."  
  
Unsure, but without an immediate escape, Duo let out a breath, then looked at the Guardians. "Heart and past, ne? Well, though not many people know this, chaos is best represented by white, and order by black. Black is a uniform, completely nonviolent color. It is used to represent death and mourning simply for the fact that it is such a calming color," he said. "White, on the other hand, is chaotic and disordered. Misunderstood to be pure, white is the color most susceptible to corruption and deceit. Also, any stains made, sins commited, chaos performed, can be seen clearly on white. The antithesis of order and normality. Exactly as am I."  
  
The other pilots stared at Duo as if they'd seen a ghost. Everyone but Heero. He'd always known that Duo was that deep. Didn't mean he would admit it, though. Wufei wasn't as shocked as the others either, but he was still surprised. He didn't think Maxwell was an idiot, per se, just a little rambuctious. Quatre tried hard not to judge, but Duo had never really given him a reason to think he had a mental capacity larger than a field mouse. As usual, Trowa said nothing. No one could accurately know what went on in that head.  
  
"Correct, Shinigami," Ilfirin said. The dark pixie flew over to Duo and did some quick hand movements over him. A moment later, a large black door appeared before the braided boy. "Go through that when you are ready." Duo nodded and remained where he was. He wanted to hear what the others said. Besides that, Quatre hadn't said he could go yet.  
  
~Your turn, Master~ Kiaarah said, moving away from the rocks and settling down to watch. ~Choose wisely~  
  
Trowa nodded and moved forward, his brain working overtime to choose the right rock. Finally, he settled on the green one, and immediately began talking. "Silence, the forest, the trees, the animals. All are silent to appreciate the life a forest holds. A true forest, one with many secrets, is silent," he said, then sat on the green rock. Nothing happened, and Trowa allowed a smug smile to curl the corner of his mouth.  
  
~Well done~ Kiaarah said. She stood over Trowa and roared, a spell woven into her roar. A dark green door appeared in front of him.  
  
Quatre stepped forward next. "I will go now," he said. He moved toward the black rock and sat down. When nothing happened, he spoke. "The opposite of chaos, order is needed to balance the world. Just like Heaven and Hell, there cannot be one without the other. More like complete emptiness, than any purity imagined."  
  
Alecea clapped, then did the quick spell-weaving Ilfirin had done. "You are right, Heru!" she cried happily, as a pure white door appeared before him.  
  
"It is my turn," Wufei said, bowing to Akha-banakh. He moved toward the red rock and confidently sat down. The others were surprised when the rock threw him off. Standing, Wufei stared at the rock, confused. "I do not understand. Why has it not accepted me?" he whispered.  
  
^This One suggests you take the pixie's advice, Master^ Akha said. Still confused, but obedient, Wufei nodded and moved toward the blue rock. Hm, he thought, heart and past. Heart and past. After a moment, he nodded decisively and sat on the blue rock. Nothing happened (obviously) and he sighed softly in relief. A serious look descended on his face, and he closed his eyes as if remembering something extremely important.  
  
"Life is not always easy," he began. "I myself am proof of that. My existence has been wrought with pain and anguish. But over the years I have learned to calm my anger and thirst for revenge. I have learned to accept everything that comes at me, and move with the tides of change. The blue of this rock upon which I sit signifies the cold calm of the waters, of life, of time. Years of meditation can lead to an absolution of self and peace of mind." Remembered pain could be seen under the thin veil of Wufei's contenance.  
  
^This One regrets the pain Master has had to endure. But Master must remember that Master's pain is what brought This One forth. This One commends Master's strength^ Akha said. The firedrake blew out a thin stream of flame, forming a dark red door. Wufei nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"Time to see what Hee-chan has to say!" Duo said eagerly. It was really too obvious how much he liked Wing's pilot, always so excited about anything involving him. "Maybe he'll say more than one word this time."  
  
"Hn," Heero muttered in response. He sat on the red rock, the only rock left, and...said nothing.  
  
"Master, ya gotta say something or I can't authorize the manifestation of the Door," said Kokatsu.  
  
"You can speak English?!" Duo gasped.  
  
"Of course. Whaddya think I am, stupid?" Ko retorted. He turned back to Heero. "Come on, Boss man, get this show on the road."  
  
Dispensing with formalities, Heero just dived right in. "Red. The blood on my hands, spilled on the battle field. The blood of innocents, of that little girl and her dog. Red tears shed for a cause, a cause maybe not as worthy of our devotion as we once thought. All I remember before I began working with Odin Lowe is red, fire, pain, anguish. Nothing but the suffering of people. I am the world's suffering. All the Gundams are."  
  
"That doesn't exactly make us feel better, Heero," Quatre said, tears welling in his kind eyes. Being told that he was part of the people's problem wasn't something he could handle without sadness. Trowa immediately reached a hand across the expanse of the circle of stones and patted Quatre's knee. His pale gold engagement ring flashed, causing Quatre's pain to vanish in the face of their impending nuptials.  
  
"Harsh it may be, but true enough," Ko said. {Are your friends ready to deal with their pasts, Master? Many seem too weak to handle the emotional baggage.}  
  
{We have handled it before, I am sure we can handle it again} Wufei answered in Japanese. Ko nodded to the Chinese teen, then performed the complicated hand movements required to summon the Door. A dark blue door appeared before him, the exact shade of Ko's scales.  
  
"Okay, so we passed the first test. Now what are these things?" Duo asked, gesturing at the doors.  
  
~They are the Doors of Past Occurence. Generality would demand that they be called portals to the earlier days. You will see your pasts in them, and at the same time, the pasts of your Guardians.~  
  
"Oh. Well that makes perfect sense," Duo said sarcastically.  
  
"Want us to break it down for you, American? How about this? Go through the door, see the past, come out. Simple, ne?" Ko said. Duo glared at the blue Kappa and Ko grinned back. He turned to the other pilots and saluted them. "So, who's first?"  
  
Silence reigned for several moments, until a rustling sounded and Wufei stood up. "I will go," he said in his usual straight-forward way. Nodding to Akha, he put his hand on the knob of the red room. He scanned the faces of the other pilots, accepted the encouraging nods of Heero and Quatre, and stepped through the door.  
  
***  
  
"Chimaera tales are valued for the Luck Potion because its bad luck properties, combined with lace wings, null each other, allowing the four leaf clovers picked on the night of the new moon to have more room to work its magic. Also, these ingredients are used to thicken the potion, since four leaf clovers are too weak to create a proper consumable substance..." Harry recited dutifully. Hermione nodded and turned the page of the Potions tome. After lunch the Gryffindors had Potions with the Slytherins. It would no doubt be an interesting period, but it would be even more entertaining if Harry could counter every question Snape asked.  
  
"Good. Now what are the properties of burnwort, and how is it different from blisterweed?" she asked. Harry groaned.  
  
"Why do we have to study on the first day, Hermione?" he whined, turning away from the large textbook. "It's the first day of summer term, for Merlin's sake!"  
  
"Better early than never, Harry Potter. You had better study. If you want to become an Auror you will have to get better at Potions. Right Draco?" Hermione said, turning to look at the smirking blond. Draco waved his hands in protest.  
  
"I'm not part of this argument," he said. "But Hermione is right, Harry. Aurors need potion-making skills. You have to do good in Potions. It is N.E.W.T. level, even if it didn't say it on your schedule. You must have at least gotten an Exceeding Expectations on your O.W.L.s."  
  
"I got an Outstanding," Harry muttered. "But that doesn't mean anything. Even Neville got an E without Snape breathing down his neck."  
  
"Point," Draco conceded. "But you still have to study. I'm sure you don't want to lose House points the first day. The way you Gryffindors act, you'd most likely be alienated for a week for every 50."  
  
"Not all Gryffindors are that narrow-minded, Draco," Hermione said. She shot the Slytherin a sly look. "About a lot of things." At that moment, Blaise came back from the Restricted Section with the book he'd been looking for, something about Morphmaguses and their role in Dark Arts over the centuries.  
  
"I wonder how those foreign students are doing?" he said, dropping the heavy tome between Hermione and Draco. "It's already been half an hour and they aren't back yet."  
  
"I don't know. They went with their Guardians, but to do what, I don't know," Hermione answered.  
  
"Something about the reasons they have Guardians in the first place," Draco said. "Duo told me that he was sure most students didn't gain a Guardian when they select a wand."  
  
"True," Blaise said. "But then again, not many students come from a time long ahead of us just to protect the wizarding world's savior."  
  
"What is there relationship to Harry, anyway?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up curiously as Draco opened his mouth to answer. After all, he had been there when Dumbledore explained it all.  
  
"Dumbledore told us an interesting little story about a man named Kamui Lowe, and a boy named Odin," he began. "Apparently, Kamui Lowe's real name is Kamui Potter, and he was the half-brother of James Potter. That would make Odin Potter-Heero, to us- your cousin, Harry."  
  
Harry stared at Draco, disbelieving. He couldn't possibly have family. It just wasn't possible. He was meant to be alone, always.  
  
"You aren't meant to be alone, Harry," Hermione said. He realized he had been talking aloud, and blushed. "I'm beginning to think Dumbledore isn't the man we believed him to be. He has put so many ideas in your head, done so many things that harm you more than help you."  
  
"Like what?" Blaise asked, curious. Harry turned away and hid his face, afraid of what Hermione might say. It was true, he was coming to trust these two Slytherins, but the truth about his life could be used in so many ways.  
  
"Well, in truth, Harry is the only one who can tell you this," Hermione said, looking to her raven haired friend. This surprised Harry. Usually she told his secrets 'for his own good'. Looks like he wasn't the only one who had changed over the summer.  
  
"You can tell them, Hermione. Tell them the little things. The rest will be kept for another time." The message was clear. You will hear more when I trust you. Hermione nodded and turned back to the Slytherins.  
  
"Well, first off, Dumbledore sent Harry to live with Muggles that hate him and his magic above anything in their tiny, close-minded world," Hermione began.  
  
"Really? I always thought Potter grew up in a house where everyone adored him. Where he was treated like a king," Blaise murmured, confused.  
  
"Many believe that even now," Hermione said. "But it isn't true. There's more to it, but that story is for another time. Anyway, Dumbledore comes in again when Harry is eleven, manipulating him to his every whim at all times. Remember that Philosopher's Stone incident and all the others that followed? All Dumbledore's little tests to build pluck and courage to fight a losing battle at a young age. And the final straw..."  
  
Draco and Blaise leaned forward, breath held in, anxious to discover something else the illustrious headmaster of Hogwarts had done.  
  
"The last straw can be kept for another time also," Hermione finished with a grin. "Right now we have to study. Now Harry, answer my question from earlier. The properties of burnwort and its differences from blisterweed."  
  
Harry groaned but answered dutifully. "Burnwort is a plant used to feed baby dragons, with little red veins in its leaves that can be punctured and the juice harvested for feeding. It can be used in potions to cancel out the cold feeling one sometimes gets, or to intensify it to the point of non- consumption. It is different from blisterweed in the point that it does not burn when touched, and because blisterweed is fed to full grown dragons, the only animals that can stomach it. Both plants are said to give third degree burns..."  
  
While Harry recited from his Potions text, somewhere in a little room high in a tower, a teenaged boy passed through a door and entered a world of fire.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC***  
  
Anyone who wants to draw a piece of fanart for this fic, please contact me at the mail address in my profile. I will be hosting a fanart contest for my fic at my ML. ^_~ Hope to see some mail from you! 


	15. The Guardians and The Past Part 3: Wufei...

Part Fourteen: The Guardians and The Past, Part Three  
Wufei's Anguish, Trowa's Loss  
  
Wufei went through the blood red door and entered a world of screaming, chaos and fire. Everywhere he looked was blood and flames. The familiar sight made him stiffen with pain and sorrow. It was the scene from his last night on L5, the night his people perished and his wife left him forever. The night he lost everything, and took up the sword in retaliation.  
  
He stood in his old room, flames licking at the rice paper doors and consuming everything in its path. Screams could be heard outside, as the Great House of Chang fell to the hungry inferno. Wufei pushed through the door and out into the courtyard, the ruined gate burned to the ground and granting him a clear view of the village below.  
  
His people ran to and fro, crying out in anguish as the world they knew fell before them. Mobile suits flew over L5, dropping more bombs and instruments of destruction, then coldly floating in the sky and viewing the insuing chaos. Wufei clenched his fists and tried to remind himself that it was just a memory. If he didn't, he would lose it and come out of the experience a few marbles short.  
  
Regulating his breathing, he carefully made his way down the pathway to the village, passing people lying in the dirt, crying out to him to save them. He ignored them, trying not to break because of the pain all around him. Suddenly, a thought entered his head, loud and demanding. If this was a memory, was not his wife still here? Could he endure watching her die again?  
  
"If only to see her," Wufei whispered to himself, then broke into a run, away from the village, away from his family's Great House, away from everything, and toward the field of flowers situated in the quietest part of the colony. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs ached. He stumbled and tripped, but kept going, if only to see his beloved's face one last time. "Meilan," he panted as he ran.  
  
With a last burst of energy he sprinted over a pile of rubble, then tripped on a loose rock and fell several feet to the ground. He closed his eyes and just breathed, trying to regain his breath. The smell that filled his nostrils was sweet, too sweet to still be the ruined city. Wufei opened his eyes to flowers, a field full of sweet, untouched flowers. "She is here," he whispered, struggling to his feet. He stumbled toward the center of the field, all the while dusting off his clothes and wiping his face.  
  
When he touched his face he noticed that he was wearing glasses. He frowned. That was strange. He hadn't worn glasses since the night that Meilan died. Surprise and understanding dawned on his face. He looked down at himself, seeing the rich red clothing he had worn as a child. He touched his hair and felt the loose strands. He touched his face and felt the wire spectacles his father had bought him. Shocked, Wufei froze and stared at his soft, uncallused hands. Hands that had never worked, never fought. Hands that only read, only studied.  
  
A sound drew him away from his contemplation and he looked up...to see what he had been seeking. There she lay, her dark hair pulled up into the two pigtails he'd always thought ridiculous, flight suit splattered with blood, eyes wide as she stared at the artificial sky. Long Meilan, daughter of Long Zi-Ling. His wife. Nataku.  
  
Mouth closed tight against any weak cry he could make, Wufei fell to his knees beside his dying wife, replaying the scene he had lived through once. Here she was again, Nataku, ready to breath her last.  
  
Those blood red lips parted, and sound issued. "W-Wufei, is that you?" she gasped, pain evident in her soft brown eyes.  
  
"Yes, Nataku," Wufei whispered, reaching out and grasping one of her pale hands. "It is your honored husband."  
  
"Heh," she chuckled, before coughing violently. "You and y-your formalities, you w-weak fool." She coughed again. "You are not h-honored with such a w-weak wife."  
  
"No! You are not weak, Nataku. That is why you were named after the Great Prince who saved our people. You are a warrior," Wufei said firmly, tightening his hold on her hand.  
  
Meilan smiled ruefully, moving a hand as if to brush away some of his loose hair. "That stupid s-sissy hair style," she said. "Those dumb glasses. Where is y-your sword? Where is my warrior?"  
  
"I am here, Nataku. I have taken up the sword to avenge you!" Wufei cried.  
  
"A-avenge me? But I am not dead yet, scholar. And you have not taken a sword," she whispered. "I can still feel the baby softness of your hands." Meilan coughed loudly and wheezed, blood spurting from her lips to dot her flight suit further.  
  
"But, Nataku," Wufei whispered. "You died. I saw you. And I know how to handle a sword. I can show you if only you'll live." A pleading tone entered his voice, and Wufei was too distraught to care.  
  
Meilan lifted one hand and reached up, almost brushing a lock of Wufei's feather light hair. "M-my husband," she gasped, blood bubbling up again. "I am w-weak. I am unw-worthy...."  
  
"No!" Wufei cried, reaching up to grasp the hand touching his hair. Before he could, the hand fell back to the ground and Meilan drew her last breath. "S-sissy h-hair..." she breathed, before going limp. "No! Noooooooo!" Wufei screamed. ^Why, God, why do you subject me to this pain again?! What have I done? Tell me!^  
  
^Enough, Master^ barked a familiar voice. A burst of flame erupted beside Wufei and when it subsided, a firedrake floated in the air. ^Master must accept his past, or he will not know the truth^  
  
^What truth, lizard^ Wufei snapped, completely forgetting who he was speaking to. ^The only truth I know is lying here before me, felled by that OZ scum^  
  
^That is not truth^ the firedrake said. ^Truth is the world Master left behind to view this once more. This One is here to show Master why This One was selected to protect Master^  
  
^I don't understand^ Wufei whispered.  
  
^Look around Master. It is obvious to This One what made Master who he is today. Does Master not see?^  
  
Wufei paused, and actually took the time to look around him. He saw the distant smoke of the village, MS flying overhead, and the field of flowers he sat in. All of it hit him like a rock. This was why he needed Akha- banakh, his Guardian, and the dragon idol of his family. To help him get through his grief and gain revenge on his people. ^I understand^ Wufei said.  
  
^This One was released to watch over Master, and ensure Master the most happiness possible. This One hid in the shadows until the right time. Now Master knows enough to go on without the grief^ Akha-banakh said. Wufei nodded. He did know enough now. It all came back to him, why he was in this memory, and what waited on the other side of the red door.  
  
^I see, and I am ready to face my past and return to my family^ he whispered. Akha nodded, and spouted flame into Wufei's face. He cried out and fell backward...and kept falling until he hit the grassy ground beside the blue rock he'd sat on. Four anxious faces looked down on him, and he smiled. ^My family^ he whispered.  
  
***  
  
Wufei awoke to the four other pilots fussing over him, even Heero looking mildly worried. Brushing them off, Wufei stood and bowed to Akha, who nodded back.  
  
"Well, what happened?" Duo demanded. Quatre and Trowa nodded, also curious. Heero simply looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Later, my friends. We haven't much time before lunch and the rest of you still have to go through the doors," Wufei said. "Who's next?"  
  
Confused by the usually stoic boy's joviality, the pilots just stared at each other until Heavyarm's pilot stood and nodded. "I will go," Trowa said, moving toward the green door. Quatre immediately hurried over to his fiance and wrapped him in a hug. Giving Trowa a big kiss, he said nothing, his eyes conveying anything he could wish to say. Trowa nodded and walked through the green door.  
  
Trowa stepped from the Room of Requirement into a thick European rainforest, complete with foliage and animal life. Water rolled slowly down large leaves as monkeys and other animals made a racket over head. The laughter of a small child could be heard in the distance. Following the sound, Trowa entered a small clearing.  
  
Before him was a little house with traditional porch and rocking chair, picturesque in such a setting. A small pond was near the entrance to the house, and two children played there. One was a little girl of about six. She had reddish brown hair and clear blue eyes. Her little yellow sundress was hiked up around her thighs as she waded into the water to retrieve something.  
  
Sitting on the grass with a building block clutched in his hand was a little boy of maybe one and one half. He shared the same hair color as the girl, but his eyes were a startling jade color. The toddler's hair hung over his face, as if he had too much hair for someone that age. Trowa gasped. The little boy was him.  
  
The girl reached into the water and pulled out a little golden ball, then waded back onto the shore and headed over to the little boy. She handed the boy the ball, and the building block was forgotten as little Trowa giggled and played with his favorite toy.  
  
"Catherine Salasia Bloom, how many times must I tell you not to wade into the water for things? Triton can retrieve them himself. If you don't let him, he will never learn!" said a firm older voice. A woman walked out of the front door of the house and onto the porch, paused to scold Catherine, then continued to the shore of the lake and the little boy. Trowa stared at the scene, the woman's words flowing through his head. Cathy's my sister?!  
  
The woman was pretty, with hair the exact shade of Trowa's, and eyes like Catherine's. Trowa suspected the woman was his mother, and he most likely got his eyes from his father. "I'm sorry, Mommy, but he dropped the ball in the lake and I couldn't leave it," Catherine said, big blue eyes apologetic.  
  
The woman bent down and picked up Triton, who waved his hands happily and immediately latched onto a long lock of the woman's hair. The woman laughed as Triton giggled. "Mommy, Mommy, watch me go boom!" Triton giggled. The woman looked alarmed and put the boy down quickly. A split second later he exploded in a cloud of dust, and when the dust cleared, a lion cub lay in his place. The woman looked mildly annoyed, but proud.  
  
"Oh Triton, what have I told you about changing randomly like that?" she sighed, moving to pick her son up again. Right when her hands touched him he changed back into his human form, and giggled. The woman sighed again and picked him up. "And what have I told you about making your sister get you things? You know she can't resist you, and she loves you too much to try."  
  
Triton went from happy and giggle to sad and solemn too quickly to catch. Big tears welled in his green eyes. "I'm sowwy Mommy. I won't do it again. I pwomise."  
  
"Alright, baby. I trust you. Now come inside, it's time for breakfast," the woman said. She reached out to take Catherine's hand and head into the house. But before she could even touch the little girl's fingers, a huge blast exploded from the house, throwing the small family back as far as the road. Catherine was thrown to the left side of the road, and Triton and his mother were on the right, separated. Smoke filled the air so thick they couldn't see each other, and Triton immediately started crying.  
  
"Triton? Triton where are you?!" the woman cried frantically.  
  
"Mommy, Mommy!" Catherine cried, screaming in fear when another blast shook the house. The woman choked down tears. Her husband had been in that house.  
  
"I'm coming, baby, I just have to find your brother," the woman soothed. Triton's high pitched crying could be heard above the crackling of flames. "Triton, honey, come find Mommy!" she cried.  
  
"I heard somethin'!" a deep voice said. The woman froze in fright, desperate to reach her children but scared for herself as well. "It came from the house we bombed, Carlos!"  
  
"Do ya think someone lives there?" asked another voice.  
  
"I dunno, Joey. It didn't say in the paper. Just blow it up, it said. I think I hear cryin' though. Let's check it out," said the first voice.  
  
"Hey Joey, I found a little girl. What we gunna do wit' 'er?" asked another voice.  
  
"Take 'er to the shelter, Adam. We can't have no little kids troublin' us. If you see anyone else, kill 'em."  
  
"Sir, yes, sir," said the group of men. From what the woman could hear, they began making a sweep of the area. Please don't find my Triton, she prayed. Suddenly, some of the smoke cleared to reveal a big man with stubble on his face, old army issue fatigues, and a large machine gun.  
  
"Whadda we have here?" he said, looking at her. "Hey Joey, I found a chick!" he called.  
  
"Kill 'er and let's go!" Joey called back.  
  
"Right-o, sir!" the man called back. He lifted his gun, leveled it at the woman, and...  
  
"No!" Trowa cried, leaping at the man about to murder his mother. The man turned surprised eyes on Trowa, and fired without a second thought. The bullet slammed into Trowa, slowing his momentum until he hit the ground directly beside his mother. She looked up to stare at him in surprise and confusion, most likely unbalanced by his strong resemblance to her baby boy.  
  
'I thought this was supposed to be a memory?' Trowa wondered, the pain in his chest causing his view to go in and out of focus. 'Why do I feel pain?'  
  
"Lil' brat! Jumpin' in front of a bullet. Hmph. Ain't never seen anythin' like it," the man grumbled. "And all for nothin', too." He aimed the gun at the woman again, this time not hesitating to pull the trigger. A loud shot rang out, and a cry left the woman. Trowa closed his eyes against the pain of it, choking back tears. Another shot rang out, slamming into his mother again.  
  
Grumbling about annoying people, the man aimed his gun at Trowa. "Yer the last one, brat. See ya in the skies." And the man shot Trowa in the heart.  
  
Trowa sat straight up, sweat rolling down his forehead. He lifted a hand to wipe his brow after the nightmare, and froze. The hand he lifted was small, no bigger than a ten year old's. Trowa looked down at himself. He was lying on a small mat with a thin blanket, wearing oversized army fatigues from ten years ago. Just like he had when he'd spent time with the mercenaries.  
  
He glanced around the room, taking in the sparcity of windows, and the dozens of other similar beds containing grown men. He was back at the mercenary encampment of his youth. And he was in his ten year old body.  
  
Before he could even think about it anymore, cries of alarm and anger sounded from outside, followed by an explosion. The call to arms sounded, and men rolled out of their beds, slipped on their boots, and dashed outside to their MS. Trowa did the same, stumbling through the rubble toward his standard issue repaired Taurus.  
  
"Get goin', Nanashi! Enemies on the east side, destroyed the weapons depot already!" cried one of the mercenaries. Trowa just nodded like he used to do, when he'd been the lowest yet most talented mercenary in the group. His age had always hindered him when it came to promotions based on skill and things like that.  
  
Trowa hopped into the Taurus and powered it up, but before he could take off, a blast rocked the MS and threw him from it. Every mercenary was thrown left and right, many dying when they made contact with the ground. Trowa rolled to his feet and looked around him, spotting the Leos currently slaughtering the only family he knew. He noticed a blond girl standing to the side, clutching her arm.  
  
"Who're you?" he asked quietly, pulling out one of his repaired guns. The girl flinched, then stepped forward.  
  
"My name is Midii Une," she said, her long blond hair blowing in the wind kicked up by the thrusters of the MS flying overhead. Trowa remembered her. The last person he'd seen before everyone died. "You have to remember, this is just the past."  
  
"What?" Trowa said, visible eye going wide. Before he could question the girl, another missile exploded, throwing them away from each other. Trowa tried to stand but was thrown down by another blast of air, this time hitting his head on the pavement and rolling under a supply truck. As everything went dark, Trowa could have sworn he saw a pair of golden brown wings.  
  
***  
  
"Well, I'm done. Lunch will be in about ten minutes. Anyone up for a walk around the castle til then?" Harry asked, closing his Potions textbook. He'd finally finished his studying, even gaining approval from Hermione. It was time to take a much needed break before lunch.  
  
"I've got to go to the Tower to get my Potions scroll with my notes, so I can't," Hermione said, stuffing the books she'd been using in her satchel.  
  
"I've got to brush my hair. It's hard keeping up with Draco, you know," Blaise said, grinning. The group laughed.  
  
Draco looked up almost hopefully at Harry. "I haven't anything pressing to do at the moment. Do you mind the company?" he asked.  
  
"Not at all," Harry answered, blushing slightly. He turned away and began packing his things. Once he and Draco were done, they left the other two to go about their business. Blaise said something softly to Hermione and she giggled.  
  
"Looks like those two are really getting along," Draco said.  
  
"Yeah. I think Hermione might like him," Harry said. They headed down the stairs toward the Entrance Hall, then left the castle through a small side door. They moved out onto the grounds and immediately headed for the lake. Draco led the way, heading toward the side directly opposite and farthest away from the school. They walked at a slow pace, uncomfortable tension surrounding them.  
  
"I wanted to say--"  
  
"I'm sorry about--"  
  
Both boys froze when their words overlapped each others, then laughed. "You first," Harry said, his usual Gryffindor self.  
  
"No, you. I interrupted you and that is inexcusable," Draco said.  
  
"I don't mind. Go ahead," Harry countered.  
  
"I insist," Draco snapped. They glared at each other, then laughed again. "Can you believe it has only been a few months since we used to argue about much more serious things?" he said. "I would never have imagined we would be out by the lake, trying to force each other to speak first. I must admit, it is a new experience."  
  
"Yeah, for me too. I used to hate you with a passion. Now that I think back on it, I can't really come up with a reason why," Harry said, sounding slightly confused. "Makes you wonder why we fought in the first place."  
  
"Well, my reason was pretty simple," Draco said. "I believed that anything I wanted, I deserved to get, and that included your friendship. As many know, I was a little prick when I was younger." He ran a hand through his silky hair. "Since you refused to be associated with someone as divine as I, my defence mechanism kicked in and I replaced my desire with hate."  
  
"In other words, you were pissed because you didn't get what you wanted," Harry said, laughing. "I pinned you as such the moment you opened your mouth. When we were in the robe shoppe, all I heard was the arrogant tone you used when speaking of anything non-Slytherin. That was the fastest way to put me off, I have to admit."  
  
Draco laughed, rubbing the back of his head in embarassment. "Well, as I said, I was a little prick. But ever since I began speaking with Hermione, that side of me has faded away. She helped me get over the fact that my father was in Azkaban and that my mother was a Death Eater at large." A soft smile replaced the wide grin. "I'd have to say that if she wasn't my best friend, and I didn't play for the other team, there might have been something there."  
  
As Draco spoke, Harry watched him, watched the way his hands moved around him to emphasize everything he said, and the way he smiled wider and talked easier the longer they were outside. Harry knew that lunch had most likely already started, but he couldn't bring himself to stop Draco from enjoying himself. It seemed like something the blond didn't do much. But what really caught Harry's attention was the last thing Draco had said. Something about playing for the other team?  
  
"What do you mean, you play for the other team?" Harry asked, though he had a pretty good idea. But it was almost too good to be true. Sure Draco flirted, but nothing serious enough to warrant the belief that he was anything but straight.  
  
Draco blushed, dropping his hands and stopping where he was. "Uh, um, it means I...uh..it means.."  
  
"What? What does it mean?" Harry asked, slightly demanding. He knew it wasn't fair. He was pushing the Slytherin, but if the answer was what he thought it was, his day would be made a thousand times over.  
  
"Well, what I mean to say is..." Draco began, looking down, his face going an unhealthy shade of red. "I...I'm gay."  
  
Halelullah! There is a God!  
  
"I hope this doesn't change anything between us. We've only been on civil terms for a little while and I don't want something like this to get in the way. I really am sorry about all the things I did and--"  
  
"Malfoy!" Harry interrupted, silencing the blond. "This doesn't change anything, and you don't have to apologize. We gave as good as we got. Remember that." At this point Harry smiled, a brilliant, vibrant thing that would have blinded a lesser man. Lucky for Draco he was made of sturner stuff. "In fact, I'm glad we play for the same team."  
  
What was said hadn't really registered with Draco yet. He was still floored by the easy acceptance he'd recieved from his former rival. But when the words registered, he almost couldn't contain his gasp of surprise. "You're gay?" he said, a hint of shock evident in his voice. Harry nodded, and Draco looked thoughtful. It kind of made sense. When had he seen Harry with anyone but Cho? And even then that hadn't lasted long.  
  
"So that whole thing with Cho Chang--" he began.  
  
"Was a mistake," Harry interrupted. "She was on a grief trip so long she could start a travel agency, and she wanted someone to cry all over and talk about her dead boyfriend with. Her mistake was picking the one guy everyone believed had killed him."  
  
"You mean she cried on your date?" Draco asked, surprised. No one in Slytherin would be so uncouthed to do such a thing. It simply wasn't done. If you had problems, take it out on your Pensieve and leave the rest of the world alone.  
  
"Like a waterfall. We were at Madam Puddifoot's, and I guess she got the urge to water down her tea," Harry said with a short laugh. "She yelled at me for not wanting to talk about Cedric on our date, and called me an insensitive jerk."  
  
"Must have broken her heart," Draco drawled.  
  
"I'm sure," Harry snorted. "Since I'm gay, there isn't much chance of making that mistake again. Guys are much easier to deal with, and only the extremely feminine ones cry like the world is ending. Life is considerably easier this way." Harry smiled at Draco, a look in his eyes that made something in the Slytherin melt. "Now I can appreciate the beauty in anything."  
  
The pair stared into each other's eyes for a moment, emerald green meeting steel grey, looking deep into the other's soul. Time seemed to stand still, and they gravitated toward each other, moving closer one solitary inch at a time. They were mere centimeters from each other when an eagle swooped down between them, breaking them apart. The spell was broken. Shrugging, the two continued on, talking of their likes and dislikes, and catching up on a friendship that should have happened years ago.  
  
From a tree in the Forbidden Forest, and eagle animagus seethed.  
  
***Tsuzuku or TBC***  
  
I know the ending was a bit confusing and weird, but that was how it came out. If you don't like it, I apologize. *bows* I'll try to do better.  
  
Miaka  
  
P.S. Remember, loves, fanart for this fic is beyond welcome!! ^_^ 


	16. The Guardians and The Past Part 4: Quatr...

Late late late! Damn, I am so tired of all my Fanfiction being late! Buuuuut, summer's here and hopefully I'll be able to finish this and start posting the sequel. I already outlined it and I think you'll love it. Anyway, here's part fifteen. Sorry for the wait!  
  
P.S. It has recently come to my attention that everything in Italics in this story has been erased in the posting of all the previous chapters, so for the next week I will be going through each chapter, fixing it, and reposting. If you wish, you can go back and see it.  
  
P.P.S. I have recently started a new Fanfiction site called Smudge of Ink and I am looking for authors who are willing to allow me to archive their work. Just email me at Miakamyway.com and head it with Re: smudge of ink so I know what you're talking about. And lastly, request for fanart is still up. I hope to see some good ones soon!   
  
Miaka  
  
Also, thank DrkNuriko for getting my ass in gear! Go read her stuff.   
  
Part Fifteen: The Guardians and The Past, Part Four,  
  
Quatre's Sanity, Duo's Spirit  
  
In the Room of Requirement, Trowa lay on the soft grass, surrounded by his comrades-in-arms, one hand clutched by his petit fiancé. He groaned and attempted to sit up, changed his mind and just lay there reviewing the facts of the last fifteen minutes.  
  
He'd been in his past, first when he was about one and one half, then when he was ten, around the time he'd begun working for Doktor S on Heavyarms. It was like a big, very realistic flashback. Was this what the Guardians had meant by the Doors of Past Occurrences?  
  
"Trowa? Trowa, are you alright?" Quatre begged, tugging on Trowa's arm and drawing him from his thoughts.  
  
"I'm fine, Quatre," he said, moving his hand to fully grip Quatre's. "What's wrong?"  
  
Tears filled Quatre's eyes. "It wasn't like Duo and Wufei. You fell out of the door, and you were unconscious. I thought you were dead!" the blond wailed, throwing himself on his fiancé. Surprised, and a little shocked, Trowa pulled Quatre closer and held him tightly.  
  
"I'm fine, angel. Look, nothing is wrong with me," Trowa murmured, rubbing Quatre's back. "You have to remember, I am a Gundam pilot. Something like this won't be the end of me."  
  
Quatre leaned back and glared at Trowa, tears still glistening in his aquamarine eyes. "It's not the same, and you know it!" he snapped. "Everything is different now. We are to be married. Sometimes that overshadows the fact that you are a pilot."  
  
"I understand," Trowa said, sighing. "I won't put your feelings aside like that again."  
  
Excuse the interruption, Master, but it shall be ten more human minutes until it is time for the noon meal. I believe you must go Kiaarah said, moving into their circle. Heero, Duo and Wufei sat on the grass to the side, patiently waiting for the two lovers to make up. They were used to situations like this.  
  
"But Quatre, Duo and Heero must still go through the doors," Trowa said. Quatre stood, his leader face slipping into place. The others also got to their feet and stood at attention in front of him.  
  
"I will go through my door. It shouldn't take too long. My past was fairly uneventful. Then Trowa, Wufei and I will go to lunch. You, Heero, and Duo will stay here and go through your doors. If you do not make it to lunch, I'm sure Harry can arrange something before our next class," he said.  
  
"Sir!" the others said, saluting sharply. They immediately split off into two groups. Heero and Duo went to stand near their doors, Quatre stood in front of his, and Trowa and Wufei headed to the exit and stood on either side, as if guarding it. Nodding to them, Quatre turned to the white door. Alecea flitted up to him.  
  
"Be careful, Heru," she said. Quatre nodded, and then stepped through the door. The effects were immediate. His surroundings changed to an expensively decorated room. He lay on the king sized bed in the center, and a buxom maid tinkered with something over by the vanity mirror. She looked familiar.  
  
It hit Quatre like a ton of bricks. The maid was Cilia, the servant from his childhood, and the room was the room he'd occupied when he was thirteen, right before he'd run away from home and joined the Maguanac Corps. Before he could think further, Celia pressed him down into the bed and strapped him down. With dawning realization, Quatre remembered the main reason he had run away. The daily injections by his maid, a lady even more twisted than Dr. J. Past fairly uneventful, his ass! How could he forget something like this?  
  
"Good morning, Master Quatre. I trust you slept well?" Celia asked, grinning evilly as she pulled a large syringe containing bright blue liquid out of her bag. "Are you ready for your medicine? Now don't bite me this time, okay dear?"  
  
The syringe contained Polyhtorline (completely made up), a drug many idiots believed could cure homosexuality. Quatre's father, meaning well and looking out for his business, had hired Celia, a licensed Polyhtorline nurse, to give him the treatment. Ever since then Quatre had regretted opening up to his sister Fatiya. He hadn't known she was such a tattletale, and immediately exposed him to their father. Now, once a day, Quatre was submitted to an injection that induced horrible hallucinations and visions, supposedly to 'drive away' his homosexual tendencies. All it had done was make the poor boy unstable.  
  
"No! NO!!" Quatre cried, struggling against his bonds. Celia just cooed at him, stroking his feather soft blond hair and murmuring baby words. Ever since she'd entered his life, Celia seemed to think that Quatre was just one cute baby to her, something to play with and cuddle at her leisure. But that wasn't the worst of it. She took part in the second phase of his treatment. Exposure to the opposite sex. In other words, after he stopped screaming from the visions, Celia raped him.  
  
(A/N: I'm sorry if this offends anyone. I didn't mean it that way. Things get better after this chapter, so don't abandon me now.)  
  
"There you go, young Master," Celia crowed, shoving the needle into his arm. Quatre watched in sick fascination as the syringe emptied into his blood stream and his vision clouded. The last thing he heard was a happy little giggle as everything went black.  
  
He opened his eyes to the cockpit of a mobile suit, two years obsolete from the ones currently used by OZ. A battle raged around him as suits a light cream color flitted around on the defensive. They were the Maguanacs, and he was currently in the battle he'd assisted them with in his thirteenth year. Shaking his head clear, Quatre snatched up the controls and began to fight, his old and awkward abilities showing through. It was like he couldn't control himself, couldn't show the skill he had acquired in all his 16 years.  
  
"Master Quatre, behind you!" came the voice of Rashid, leader of the Maguanac Corps and Quatre's first true friend.  
  
"Hai!" Quatre called, swinging around in the suit and firing at an enemy. The enemy suit exploded, and Quatre allowed himself a little happiness, before he quickly prayed for the person's soul. "May Allah protect you," he whispered.  
  
"Master Quatre!" came Rashid's call again. But it came too late. A suit slammed into Quatre, throwing him forward. Since the suit was old, the harness snapped and Quatre slammed into the console, blood pouring from a wound from his head. He blacked out...  
  
And woke again, still in the mobile suit. Or not. The suit wasn't the same, yet it seemed familiar to him. It was Heero's Gundam, Wing Zero. Quatre realized he was in a new secure harness, and the view before him was breathtaking. It was the Earth, glowing ethereally in outer space. He didn't have much time to look because his hands reached out and toggled the controls to flip the large mobile suit over. The view screen rolled slowly, depicting the starry ocean, before fixing on the one thing Quatre hoped to never see again.  
  
It was one of the colonies in L4 colony cluster (A/N: Sorry if this is wrong, but my internet isn't working right now so I can't check if this is the right colony.) It was the colony he had destroyed in anger and sadness after his father blew himself up on the research satellite he wished to keep away from the enemy.  
  
Tears formed in Quatre's eyes as his hands moved with out his permission, as if he were a puppet. He felt the weight of the zero system helmet, and the tears ran faster. It appeared he would have to run through the memory completely again, watch himself destroyed thousands of people in blind rage. Only this time, he was very aware of what he was doing. And it would tear him up inside, most likely worst than the first time. At least then he found out after the fact.  
  
His uncontrollable hands pressed the buttons that would seal his mental state for months to come. His mouth yelled out it's anguish at what he was about to do. His mind crumbled under the weight of it all. And Quatre cried as L4 colony exploded in a rain of fire and a super nova to rival many he had seen.  
  
The mental strain of it was too much and Quatre snapped, his past and present self merging to emit the same keening wail of pain and remorse. It was like he looked through two pairs of eyes as he jammed the controls in an Earthly direction and shot off through space. Finally, he fell unconscious.  
  
And fell out of the white door back into the Room of Requirement. The other pilots gathered around him and helped him up, worried looks on their faces. "Uneventful childhood, ne?" Heero said, with a snort. Trowa glared at him and hugged his love to his chest.  
  
Quatre straightened and stood before them again, a leader. "Okay, Heero, Duo, finish up here and meet us in the Great Hall as son as possible. If class has already started, don't worry. We will still be there. Trowa, Wufei, let's go to lunch." The four pilots saluted and went their separate ways. Heero and Duo approached the doors to their pasts, and the others went through the Room's main door.  
  
After Quatre and the others left, Heero and Duo turned to look at each other. An expression of apprehension graced Duo's face. As usual, Heero was expressionless. Heero was the first to speak.  
  
"If we both enter at the same time, it will cut down the ETA to only about five minutes. With estimations from the other pilots' times, we might be able to make lunch," he said. Duo nodded, the anxious look still on his face. "Daijoubu ka?" Heero asked, his voice slightly detached.  
  
"I'm fine, Hee-chan. It's just...my past isn't all roses, ya know?" Duo said, a slight grin on his face. He shrugged. "Anyhoo, let's get this show on the road, ne?" Heero nodded and turned to his blue door. Grabbing the knob, he looked at Duo. The braided teen also grabbed the handle of his black door. Both nodded to the other, and stepped in.  
  
Harry and Draco talked and laughed companionably as they headed back to school for lunch. They had completely forgotten about the eagle that had interrupted their almost kiss. But the eagle hadn't forgotten them. Oh no, Belamey St. Juste hadn't forgotten them at all. How could she forget the man she planned to marry?  
  
Snickering to herself in a weird eagle voice, Belamey rubbed her wings together and plotted. She would not allow herself to lose her raven haired love to that blond demon. With another eagle laugh, Belamey flew deeper into the Forbidden Forest.  
  
(A/N: Eagle explained, Hikaru)  
  
"Draco and Harry are still not here?" Blaise asked Hermione as they sat at the Gryffindor table together. They'd been in the Great Hall ten minutes, most spent talking by the entrance, but the blond Slytherin and green eyed Gryffindor hadn't showed.  
  
"No. I wonder what's keeping them. Do you think they finally managed to take the next step?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yeah right, 'Mione. Draco and Harry actually getting a clue? That's like saying Ron isn't a complete and utter arse, and Dumbledore would look sexy in a thong," Blaise joked, grinning.  
  
"Do you really think so, Mr. Zabini?" came a familiar voice. Hermione and Blaise froze, then turned pale faces to the figure behind them. It was Albus Dumbledore. "Interesting luncheon conversation, Ms. Granger."  
  
"Eheh, good afternoon, Professor. Is there something you need?" a shocked Hermione asked.  
  
Dumbledore smiled. "Actually, there is. Have you seen the foreign boys, by any chance? I must speak to them about a rather urgent matter," he said.  
  
"Um, we haven't seen them since free period started, Professor. Sorry," Blaise said, a slight red tinge on his cheeks. He'd never been so embarrassed in his life.  
  
"Oh. Well, then. I'll leave you two to think about my possible undergarments. Good day." And the sly old coot walked away with a slight bounce in his step, eyes twinkling. Hermione and Blaise fell over.  
  
"Oh Merlin, I think I lost a few years there," Hermione said, clutching her heart. "Where's my copy of Hogwarts: A History? I need some comfort reading."  
  
"Where's my stuffed bunny? I think I need a cuddle," Blaise muttered. Hermione snorted and Blaise glared at her. "What?" he snapped.  
  
"Stuffed b-bunny?" she snorted. "What's it's name, Cuddles?" She fell down in an explosion of laughter.  
  
"Her name is Constance, and she doesn't like to be talked about when she can't answer!" Blaise said angrily. Hermione just laughed harder. Blaise huffed and turned away, pouting. Hermione straightened and looked apologetic. She moved closer to Blaise and hugged him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Blaise. I didn't mean that," she apologized. "I'll hug you while Constance isn't here, okay?" Blaise turned in Hermione's arms, a smile on his face. He opened his mouth, and...  
  
"Well, isn't this sweet," said another familiar voice. The two friends sighed. This was just their day for interruptions. Both turned to see Ron Weasley glaring down at them. "What is this scum doing at the Gryffindor table, Hermione?"  
  
"He isn't scum, Weasley. If anyone is scum, it's you. Now leave us alone," Hermione snapped, glaring right back at him.  
  
"Now see here, you little slut.." Ron began. Before he could continue, a hand fell on his shoulder, hard. Ron turned slowly to see his assailant.  
  
"Is there a problem here, Weasel?" Draco Malfoy demanded. Behind him was Crabbe and Goyle, but they were deliberately standing back, probably to show Draco didn't need them to take care of Ron.  
  
Ron spun out of Draco's grip and pulled out his wand, aiming it at the Slytherin's face. "Back off, Malfoy, before I show you what I learned last year," he yelled, face an angry red.  
  
"You mean, what I taught you, Ron?" Harry said from the sidelines. The Gryffindor smirked, which looked strangely alluring on his usually smiling face. "Trust me, Draco could wipe the floor with you, no wands needed."  
  
"Why you disgusting traitor!" Ron shrieked, beginning to sound hysterical. Something poked him in the back and he spun around again, to meet the stony face of Wufei Chang, the expressionless face of Trowa Barton, and the slightly disturbing smile of Quatre Winner. All three stood in front of Hermione.  
  
"Are you bothering Miss Granger, Weasley?" Wufei asked, his wand brushing Ron's throat.  
  
"Because if you are," Trowa said.  
  
"We'll have to take care of that," Quatre finished.  
  
"And I'm almost positive you won't like it," Hermione added from behind them. She giggled happily, still clutching Blaise. The dark haired Gryffindor grinned. (A/N: Sorry to interrupt, but have any of you ever noticed that the real Blaise from JK's books is a blonde girl, yet the Blaise created from us fans is dark haired, and a boy? Just wondering)  
  
Ron paled even more and stepped back, crashing into Draco. He spun away from the blond and hurried across the Great Hall to the doors. "This isn't over, Granger!" he yelled. "I'll catch you someday when you don't have your little friends protecting you!"  
  
"I'll be waiting, Ronnikins!" Hermione called after the redhead, making the boy blush so red he rivaled his hair. Hermione grinned and turned back around in her seat, waving the teens around her to sit down. Draco and Harry sat beside Hermione, Crabbe and Goyle sat beside Blaise, and Quatre, Trowa and Wufei sat in front of them.  
  
"That was brilliant, Draco, coming in like that. The Weasel won't approach us for weeks, most likely," Blaise said, smirking.  
  
"I doubt it, Blaise. He is a tenacious little bugger, I must say," Draco said. Then it was his turn to smirk. "He might not have caught you off guard if you weren't going on about Cuddles again, you know."  
  
Blaise blushed red, with either anger or embarrassment, no one was sure. "Her name is Constance, for Merlin's sake, Draco! You've known me for 12 years and you still get it wrong! And you shouldn't—"  
  
"Talk about someone when they aren't there to answer. I know, Blaise. You've told me many times before," Draco drawled. "If I didn't know it was a stuffed animal, I might just think you were in love."  
  
Blaise's skin color reached new heights and he pulled his wand out to cast a quick calming charm on himself. Breathing deeply, he turned a 100 watt glare on Draco. "I am not in love with Constance, you git. I simply appreciate the comfort she gives me," he said regally. He ruined it when he stuck out his tongue and muttered, "So there."  
  
Beside Draco, Harry was trying his best not to laugh out loud but a stray snort escaped. Then entire group turned on him. "What's so funny, Potter?" Draco asked, curious. Harry just shook his head and turned away to snicker in peace. Draco simply shook his head. "Going on six years and I still don't understand that boy." Shrugging, he turned to Wufei, Quatre and Trowa.  
  
Have a lie in before lunch?" he asked.  
  
"No," Quatre said, the only one understanding the weird British term for "nap". After all, he had been trained in 13 different languages. "We were in the Room of Requirement."  
  
"Where, what?" Hermione piped up. "How did you know about the Room?"  
  
Wufei stopped flipping the pages of his book labeled IT"S ALIVE! The Art of Animating Inanimate Objects by Iggy Mobilus, and answered her. "Maxwell showed it to us." He went back to the intricacies of owning a talking toaster.  
  
"Duo showed you? But how? Not many know of the Room. Maybe 30 students, at the most," Hermione argued.  
  
"Books, remember?" Quatre said. "Duo explained this at that bar awhile back. We have books in our world all about yours. He probably knows this castle better than a lot of you."  
  
"Books, you say?" Draco said, intrigued. "Might you have any of these...books...with you?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but no. We didn't exactly pack to come here," Quatre said apologetically. "All we have is our weapons and the clothes we came in with."  
  
"And the Guardians," Wufei said, looking up from instructions on how to charm a business suit to dance and sing Frank Sinatra songs off key. "But I am not sure they count since Headmaster Dumbledore was the one to provide us with them."  
  
"That reminds me. Kiaarah," Trowa said, speaking for the first time since Ron left. The air shimmered in front of the Gryffindor table and Trowa's gryphon appeared in her regular form, the size of a full grown line. Many students gasped and shied away.  
  
"What in blue blazes is that?!" came Seamus Finnigan's yell. Trowa sighed and got up. He leaned forward to whisper to the gryphon. The gryphon growled back and Trowa nodded. He waved his hand in dismissal and Kiaarah nodded and disappeared. Trowa returned to his seat and looked at Quatre and Wufei.  
  
"Heero and Duo went through at the same time, most likely in an attempt to cut down the time it takes and make it to lunch," he said.  
  
"Heero's idea, no doubt," Wufei said, skipping over a potion to give living room furniture sentient minds and razor sharp teeth.  
  
"No doubt," Quatre said. "I hope they make it. These grilled cheese sandwiches are really good." Crabbe and Goyle nodded their agreement. Everyone else just looked confused.  
  
"Went through what at the same time?" Hermione asked. "What are they doing in the Room of Requirement?"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Hermione. They aren't doing anything bad. And they should make it to class, no problem," Quatre soothed.  
  
The mention of class sidetracked Hermione and she latched onto the subject with a vengeance. "Good, because class is really important and you don't want to miss any, especially if you're an exchange student, because that kind of thing goes on your permanent record. Honestly, they—"  
  
"Hermione!" three voices chorused in annoyance. Harry, Draco and Blaise looked at each other and laughed. The subject of Harry's cousin and Duo was dropped, and they went back to lunch, joking all the while.  
  
No one noticed the venomous glare of Pansy Parkinson directed at the blond sitting at the Gryffindor table.  
  
He tumbled out of the door and right into a pile of toys, particularly a large toy castle. Scared he had ruined someone's things, Duo immediately began grabbing pieces of it and trying to put it back together. As he was trying desperately to connect two bricks, Duo noticed something strange about his hands and arms. They were small and chubby, baby fat still in evidence. Looking down, Duo saw that he wore an expensive navy blue dress shirt with an unfamiliar crest on it, and similarly priced black dress pants. Horrified, he dropped the bricks.  
  
"Let me get that for you, Master Daniel, sir," said a pleasant male voice. Large hands descended and picked up the pieces of the castle and reconstructed them. Once finished, the same hands handed Duo one of the small figurines, a wizard in periwinkle blue robes. Duo followed the hands up and arm to a face. The man had dark reddish black hair, a flat nose, and wore a grey suit with the same crest as Duo's shirt.  
  
"Who are you?" Duo asked in a childish voice hard with distrust. He had learned at an early age that you can't trust old men that smile at you. It usually meant trouble.  
  
"I'm your new nanny, Master Daniel," the man said in a deep south Wales accent, smiling and confirming all of Duo's fears. "My name is Tiberius. You may call me Mister Tiberius."  
  
"I may call you whatever I want," Duo snapped, every inch of his breeding showing through. He'd seen his father say the same phrase to a recalcitrant servant just the other day, and had been practicing it since.  
  
Tiberius's eyes hardened. "No you cannot, young Master. As your nanny it is my duty to train you in the ways of the world. And snapping at everyone who displeases you is not how to go about it," he said.  
  
Duo's large blue eyes narrowed. "Mista Tibewius, was it?" he said, horrified when he stumbled over his "R's". Clearing his throat, he glared at the man, as if he was the case of the slip up. "Mister Tiberius," he began again. "I don't believe you're my nanny. Nannies are girls."  
  
"Not all nannies, Master Daniel. Recently the Queen has approved male nannies. I am indeed your new nanny," Tiberius said.  
  
"I don't believe you," Duo said. "Wait here while I get my daddy. He'll know what to do with you." Duo began to head out of the nursery, but Tiberius closed the door. Seeing this, Duo scowled. "Move, old man."  
  
Tiberius's eyes narrowed on the small child, then his face returned to normal. "I think someone needs some time alone," he said, reaching down and picking Duo up. "How about a time out in the closet, Master Daniel?" He began walking toward the small nursery closet.  
  
"Put me down this instant!" Duo screamed, wriggling wildly. "My daddy will have your head for this! You'll never work in this town again!" The result of too much television for once came in handy for the five year old, and he spat out insults only the men of highest power ever used. Too bad Tiberius didn't care.  
  
He put Duo down in the closet and shut the door tight, locking it. Duo pounded on the door and demanded to be let out, but no response was forthcoming except an admonishment to think on what he'd done. What that was, Duo didn't know, but until his father came how, all he could do was wait. That realized, he got comfortable and prepared his insults for the moment the door opened.  
  
The scene shifted to a large brick building. Young children laughed and played in the large front yard of the building, careful not to dirty their cream school uniforms. After all, they were the toddlers of the rich and famous. Can't have dirty kids, now can you?  
  
In one corner, deep in the shadows, sat one miserable boy. He had long chestnut brown hair that flowed to mid back and was contained in a tight braid. His big blue-violet eyes were shadowed and glistening with unshed tears and his cherry lips trembled. His small black satchel was thrown carelessly in the dirt, and his little cream school shorts and jacket were covered in dirt. He was a victim of another assault by the older students.  
  
Duo was the richest boy at St. Barnabas Academy for Boys, and many resented him for that, even at a young age. When some boys got a toy BMW, Duo got a toy Ferrari. When some boys got a tricycle, Duo got a motor bike (though it wasn't very fast. He was still a kid). Where one got a Ferris wheel for his birthday, Duo got the entire carnival. It pissed many off to no end.  
  
Especially the 2nd graders currently pushing the young, unhappy boy around. It wasn't like Duo asked for any of his things, really. But the three boys in front of him most likely didn't care about all that. The first one, a sandy haired boy by the name of William Lancaster, was the ringleader. His father owned some of the shuttles at the shuttle terminal. Too bad Duo's father owned the shuttle terminal.  
  
Behind him were the Curtis twins, Marcus and Lucas. Both had dark hair and cold blue eyes. And both glared at Duo with hatred. The Curtis' owned several ships on the merchant's dock just south of the school. The dock brought in loads of money every year. Duo's father owned the dock itself, and the Curtis' had to pay a docking tax. Pretty much everyone in the town owed the Cassells money for something.  
  
"Think you're so hot, Cassell, just because your Dad owns all our stuff?" Lancaster barked, pushing Duo into the wall. Duo whimpered and attempted to dust off his uniform. His mother hated when he was dirty, and the last time he'd come home with dirt on his clothes she'd yelled at him and locked him in his room. Then his nanny, Tiberius, locked him in the nursery closet like he'd done the first time he'd met Duo. Duo didn't like it in that closet.  
  
The twins grabbed Duo's hands and held them to the side, while Lancaster delivered a punishing right hook (for a 7 year old, anyway). Duo tried to hold in the tears, but couldn't. They flowed down his pale cheeks in rivers.  
  
"Aww, look, the little Cassell is crying," Lancaster taunted. Not so hot now, are you?" And William laughed. The Curtis twins joined in. Before they could do anything else, Duo heard the voice of his nanny calling him. His brow furrowed. He hadn't seen Tiberius in a week. His father had said he had fired him because of an "unnatural preoccupation with my son". Duo didn't know what that meant, but he was pretty sure Tiberius wasn't his nanny anymore.  
  
"Master Cassell, it's time to go home!" came Tiberius' yell. The three bullies released Duo, grinning. The expected him to catch it from the nanny for his clothes. Duo probably would.  
  
"See you later, Cassell," Lancaster spat, his grin turning feral. The twins matched the look. Scared, Duo grabbed his bag and darted off to where he'd heard his nanny. What he came upon shocked him. There stood Tiberius, looking the worse for wear with bags under his eyes, a wrinkled suit, and messy hair. He looked like hell warmed over. Duo approached cautiously.  
  
"Mister Tiberius?" he whispered. The nanny turned on him so quickly Duo almost fell over in his haste to back up. The look in his nanny's eyes was scary. "I thought my daddy fired you?" The look in Tiberius' voice hardened even more and frightened Duo twice as much.  
  
"Yes, he did. But he hired me back. And I'm to take you home," he said, trying for oily sweetness and only getting evil intent in his voice.  
  
"Um..." Duo said, backing up. Lightning quick, Tiberius reached out and grabbed Duo's wrist. Duo struggled, but Tiberius was a lot older and stronger. Duo kicked out and got Tiberius in the shin and darted away, but Tiberius caught him again and wrestled Duo into a red van parked in front of the school. No one attempted to help Duo. The young boy was usually in trouble for something and being dragged to some car or other, so no one paid any mine.  
  
"I'm going to get your father to give me my job back," Tiberius snarled, dragging Duo into the van. "And if he doesn't, then he'll never see you again." At this Tiberius laughed cruelly, strapped Duo into the seat, and drove off. No one gave it another thought. And young Daniel Cassell wasn't seen for an entire year.  
  
The scene switched to the day Tiberius died of drug use. Duo had been with the man for a year, his parents having refused to give Tiberius back his job or pay any type of ransom for their son. Now Duo was left with a dead druggie in a dirty room, and the clothes on his back. He didn't know a thing about living outside the room. Nothing at all. But he was free, and that was all that matter.  
  
A year living with a made man who had a serious crush on him was the worse thing to ever happen to Duo. But it paled considerably to his time on the streets, the subsequent death of Solo, and the destruction of Maxwell church. All of it boiled down to where he was currently. A bitter boy with a bitter past and a hatred for his family so deep nothing could penetrate it.  
  
With that last scene and thought, Duo tumbled out of the black door. He tumbled onto the grass and lay there, lost in thought.  
  
Tsuzuku or TBC  
  
Next chapter will be Heero's past and some plot development around Dumbledore, plus a little bonding time with Harry and Heero. They are cousins, after all.   
  
Any questions I haven't answered that you have, email me and I'll either answer the email back or answer them all in the next chapter and credit you for plot development. Until the next! 


End file.
